UPDATED 7/15/2014
At New Designers, an annual event that brings together 3,500 newly graduated students from 200 design programs around the U.K. to the Business Design Centre in Islinginton, London, many graduates from glass programs were included. The U.K. artist organization known as the Contemporary Glass Society offers an award each year to the best work in glass as judged by a panel of artists. The 2014 top CGS price goes to Edinburgh College of Art graduate Harry Morgan who was awarded cash, materials voucher, marketing support, and a two-year membership in CGS. The first prize includes £250 in cash, a £250 Warm Glass voucher, a professional photo session with Simon Bruntnell worth £600, and a promotional and marketing package worth £400, including two years’ CGS membership. In addition, the publication Craft&Design will give the award winner a year's subscription to the magazine and space in the Makers Gallery pages, together worth £180.
This year's judges were glass artists David Reekie and Louis Thomson, together with Clare Maddison, director of Contemporary Applied Arts, and Karen Murphy representing the CGS, while Simon Moore judged the prize for commitment to skill. The judges issued a joint statement that reads: “Harry’s sculptures are visually arresting. He uses an innovative combination of materials to create tension between the fragility of glass and the solidity of the concrete and metal."
In a prepared statement, Morgan offered the following comment: "It is really great to see that my work is of interest and appreciated by people in the industry. I am delighted to have won the award and look forward to the year ahead."
The two runners up this year were Cara Louise Walker from Gray's School of Art, Robert Gordon University and Bethany Jade Wood from De Montfort University. The two runners up will each receive vouchers from Creative Glass UK, and a promotional package worth £100, including a year’s CGS membership. Bethany Jade Wood also won the CGS Glass Prize for commitment to skill 2014 sponsored by Simon Moore, which includes four one-on-one master classes with Moore.
Commendations were given to four University of Sunderland; Stephanie Da Silva, Amber King, Emma Baker and Stephanie Sykes.
Both the winner and the runners up will also receive a selection of publications from Alan Poole. The coveted CGS prize for commitment to skill– offered four one-to-one masterclasses with the prize’s sponsor, Simon Moore, at his London workshop.
Last year’s winner, Juliana Bolaños-Durman, is grateful for what the award did for her career: "The CGS Prize was a great platform that jumpstarted my artistic experience in a very positive note," she stated in a prepared release. "I am very grateful for this because of the timing and how the exposure helped introduce my work to the art and design world". Since winning the prize Juli has gone on to participate in the Stanislav Libenský Award 2013 and the Coburg Prize for Contemporary Glass 2104.
EDITOR'S NOTE: In the original posting of this article, it was stated that Juliana Bolaños-Durman won the Stanislav Libenský Award 2013 and the Coburg Prize for Contemporary Glass 2104. This is incorrect. While she participated in both competitions, she was not the winner.