Tracy Nicholls. Orphica II (detail) Photo: Nick Hayes

Press Release

22nd August 2008

British Glass Biennale Award Winner Announced

Tracy Nicholls, of Kingston-upon-Thames, has won the 2008 British Glass Biennale Award. Ms Nicholls was presented with her award by Will Farmer, Chairman of the Biennale judging panel and member of the BBC TV Antique Roadshow team of experts, at the launch of the British Glass Biennale in Stourbridge in the West Midlands.

Ms Nicholls’ winning triptych, entitled Orphica I, II and III was chosen ahead of 130 other entries submitted by 81 British-based artists. The work comprises three 14 inch (35cm) square glass panels and was inspired by images of diseased cells viewed under a microscope. “I saw an image of cancerous cells and thought how beautifully fragile they appear but of course we all know how unpleasant they really are. The image reinforced the old adage that looks can be deceiving. “I set out to challenge our perception of beauty and I am absolutely overwhelmed to have won this award. “I have only been working with glass for five years after seeing a friend making glass beads I took a four-day introductory course at Richmond Arts School. “I can’t believe I’ve won.”

The thirty-nine-year-old fits in her artistic passion between her job as a nanny and created her winning work “in the garden shed and on the living room floor.” Asked what she would do with her £8,000 prize money she replied “now I can afford a kiln.”

The 3rd British Glass Biennale, which is part of the International Festival of Glass, is being staged at the Ruskin Glass Centre in Amblecote near Stourbridge, the historical heart of the UK glass industry, and is open daily between 10am and 5pm until September 28th. The exhibition showcases the cutting edge of contemporary artworks by British-based artists using glass as their major material. All the works of art are for sale and prices range from £200 for delicately engraved items to Peter Layton’s huge £34,000 ‘Scrubber.’

Dr William Cook, Master of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers and Bob Crooks Winner of the Glass Sellers Award 2008

The British Glass Biennale Awards ceremony was attended by over five hundred guests. The Glass Sellers Award 2008, sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London and with a £5,000 prize, was won by Devon-based Bob Crooks for his free-blown ‘Vertical Vase’. Runners up prize was awarded to James Lethbridge of Doncaster for his piece ‘Serpentine Chandelier’.  The Glass Sellers Student Award was given to Timothy Boswell for Fiesta 1 and Steven Whitehill was awarded runner up for his piece ‘Untitled’.

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Ref: IGF/PR025/Winners   
For further information contact Brendan McKeown on 07966 135536 or
Jo Evans on 01384 378873 - 07732 311821

Editor’s notes

PEOPLE’S PRIZE
Visitors to the British Glass Biennale exhibition are invited to vote for their favourite piece.  The artist with the most votes will win the People’s Prize which will be announced towards the close of the exhibition. 
 
The winner will receive professional support and promotional materials donated by Craftsman craft&design Magazine and Warm Glass.

SPONSORS/SUPPORTERS:
Ruskin Mill Educational Trust
Advantage West Midlands
Arts Council England
Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers

Craftsman craft&design Magazine

Press Release

22nd August 2008

Glass Award Winners for 2008 Announced

Hundreds of guests celebrated with this year’s glass award winners at the opening of the British Glass Biennale exhibition which took place at the Ruskin Glass Centre in Amblecote, Stourbridge, West Midlands on Thursday 21 August.

Tracy Nicholls was blown away when the jurors announced that she was the winner of the British Glass Biennale Award for her triptych – Orphica I, II and III.  Her piece was judged by the Biennale jury to reflect the highest degree of creative achievement in contemporary British glass, and to be the ‘best in show’.

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Press Release

22nd August 2008

People’s Prize 2008

Exhibitors at the 2008 British Glass Biennale are hoping their work will impress visitors to the month long exhibition (22nd August to 28th September) at the Ruskin Glass Centre in Amblecote near Stourbridge.

The Craftsman craft&design Magazine is sponsoring a People’s Prize that invites visitors to the Biennale to vote for their favourite exhibit. The winning exhibit will be announced towards the end of September and the winning artist will be featured in a full page article in the November/December issue of the Craftsman craft&design Magazine and online.

The artist and their work will also be featured on the front cover of the March/April 2009 issue together with a two page spread inside and £250 voucher to spend with Warm Glass, the UK’s main supplier of kiln-forming materials.

The 3rd British Glass Biennale showcases the finest examples of contemporary glass art by leading UK-based artists. Eighty one artists have been selected out of 235 applicants to present the most interesting, diverse and outstanding glass art made in the UK. It is the must-see exhibition for collectors, buyers and enthusiasts of contemporary glass art and it is a selling show, with over 130 pieces of work priced from £200 to £35,000.

Entry to the British Glass Biennale is free from 26th August to September 28th.

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Ref: IGF/PR024 August 2008
For further information contact Brendan McKeown on 07966 135536 or
Jo Evans on 01384 378873/07732 311821
Email: bsamckeown@aol.com

British Glass Biennale sponsors/supporters:

• Ruskin Mill Educational Trust
• Advantage West Midlands
• Arts Council England
• Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers

Craftsman craft&design Magazine