The organisers of the International Festival of Glass at Stourbridge in the English midlands have been inundated with entries for the country“s largest contemporary glass showcase.
The British Glass…
The organisers of the International Festival of Glass at Stourbridge in the English midlands have been inundated with entries for the country“s largest contemporary glass showcase. The British Glass Biennale, held during the August Bank Holiday festival, has attracted a record 235 entries from top UK based glass artists, designers and craftsmen, all hoping to scoop the GBP 14,000 worth of prizes on offer. However, the panel of expert judges including Will Farmer, director at Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge, Deirdre Figueiredo, director at Craftspace in Birmingham, Jeremy Hunt, editor of Art & Architecture, Kim Mawhinney, curator of applied art at Ulster Museum, and glass artist Angela Thwaites, has already reduced the number of entries to a shortlist of 79. The British Glass Biennale Award for best in show has increased to GBP 8,000; the Glass Sellers“ Award is worth GBP 5,000 and, for the first time, there is also a Glass Sellers“ Student Award of GBP 1,000, both of which are being offered thanks to a partnership with the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers. Festival director Janine Christley said: “We“ve had more entries for the Biennale this year than ever and the standard was very good”. “We“ve got some familiar faces in the shortlist, but there are also quite a few artists that are trying new things and that“s very encouraging and exciting”. “We were also very impressed by the quality of student entries”. Candice-Elena Greer, Biennale curator, said: “I think the show will hang well together; it“s always ecclectic and I“m excited about what we are going to be showing”. The prize-winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Ruskin Glass Centre, Amblecote, on 21 August 2008, and the 79 shortlisted pieces will be on display in a free exhibition running from 22 August to 28 September 2008. The four-day International Festival of Glass runs from 22 to Monday 25 August 2008 at locations across Stourbridge“s Glass Quarter.