Honours aplenty for School of Art graduates

A student and two graduates of the ANU School of Art Glass Workshop have recently been recognised for their outstanding works at a variety of nationally acclaimed awards and publications.

Belinda Toll won the inaugural National Student Art Glass Prize at the National Glass Gallery for her work, “Time contained” whilst Deidre Feeney was awarded the prestigious 2010 Tom Malone Prize for “That evening” showcasing Melbourne’s historic Westgarth Theatre in glass. Additionally, Ruth Oliphant and her works has been profiled in Craft Arts International in an article entitled “Journey from Student to Artist.”

Belinda Toll was awarded the first National Student Art Glass Prize (NSAGP) at the official opening in Wagga Wagga, on Friday 12 March.  The exhibition is a new biennial event and is organised and hosted by the Wagga City Art Gallery. The prize was established to reward and promote innovation and excellence in contemporary glass within the student sector. The NSAGP is an acquisitive prize, with a strategy to grow the National Art Glass Collection with outstanding works by the newest generation of practitioners selected from the Glass Programs based in Australian Universities (see attached press release and article).

Deirdre Feeney has been awarded the prestigious 2010 Tom Malone Prize. Deirdre graduated from the Glass Workshop at the ANU in 2005. The prize rewards innovative use of Glass in contemporary works made in Australia. The judges were Elizabeth Malone, a benefactor of the Art Gallery’s Foundation and Stefano Carboni, Director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Deirdre Feeney was the 2009 Procter fellowship recipient.  She is currently undertaking a 4 weeks residency in the Glass Workshop at the ANU in completion of the research project supported by the fellowship. Deidre will be giving a special Art Forum open to the general public on Friday 26 of March at the School of Art Lecture Hall from 1-2PM.

Ruth Oliphant graduated from the ANU in 2008 and began working in glass in various ways, originally in stained glass and more recently in art glass.  Industry publication, Craft Arts International, has written a feature article on Ruth Oliphant’s work entitled Journey from Student to Artist.

Congratulation to Belinda, Deidre and Ruth from the staff and students of the School of Art and the ANU.

 
Pictured
Left: 'Suffolk', Ruth Oliphant, 2009, fused and carved glass with glass powder, constructed into a two-layer box, 40 x 31 x 8cm.
Right: 'That evening', Deirdre Feeney, 2009, waterjet-cut, kiln-worked, cold-worked, lamp-worked glass and projected video animation, 31.5 x 25.0 x 35.5cm.