Images: designer, Andrew Fleming, and athlete, Laura Muir
pictured, with the Official Championship Medals.
Andrew Fleming, an award-winning silversmithing graduate of the GSA and current artist in residence in Silversmithing & Jewellery, has designed the official medals for the forthcoming European Athletics Championships it has been revealed.
The design, which was partly inspired by the Glasgow grid system, was unveiled in a launch with athlete Laura Muir.
“I am incredibly proud to have been selected to design the medals for this event,” says Andrew. “To be given the opportunity to design a medal for the city I love so much is an honour.”
“It is a testament to the calibre of our young designers that Glasgow Life invited recent Silversmithing and Jewellery graduates to submit designs for this prestigious commission,” adds Professor Irene McAra-McWilliam, Director of the GSA.
“Andrew has infused his design with qualities for which Glasgow is celebrated, both architecturally and creatively, and we are delighted that athletes from across Europe will be taking a little bit of the city home with them in the medals.”
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, said:
“I am pleased the medals for this major sporting event have been designed in Scotland in collaboration with The Glasgow School of Art.”
“The Glasgow School of Art is one of Europe’s leading higher education institutions and recent graduate Andrew Fleming has created stunning contemporary pieces that will add quality to this event.”
For further information on The Glasgow School of Art contact:
Lesley Booth
07799414474
press@gsa.ac.uk
@GSofAMedia
THE GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART IS GOING FOR GOLD AS OFFICIAL MEDALS REVEALED AHEAD OF GLASGOW 2019
OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS REVEALED AS THEY ARE GIVEN A GLASGOW TOUCH BY ONE OF THE CITY’S FINEST GRADUATE DESIGNERS
The European Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 2019 are delighted to reveal the event’s official medals today [Thursday 14thFebruary].
The organising committee has teamed up with the acclaimed Glasgow School of Art, whose resident designer Andrew Fleming has designed the official medals for the upcoming Championships.
Drawing inspiration from Glasgow and the built environment, the design of these medals is a representation of Glasgow’s heritage of construction. The overlapping grid like patterns also creates a sense of movement and is an abstract snapshot of the city itself. Andrew wanted every winning athlete to have their own key to the city.
Glasgow School of Art resident designer, Andrew Fleming, who designed the medals said: “I am incredibly proud to have been selected to design the medals for this event. To be given the opportunity to design a medal for the city I love so much is an honour. Designing and making is what I love and for that to be recognised in this way and to be given this platform at this early stage in my career is more than I could have imagined. To mark this moment in time of these athletes’ careers has been such a fulfilling experience and I can’t wait to see them being presented on the podium.”
In only three weeks’ time, some of Europe’s leading athletes are due to arrive in the city and compete at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena between 1-3 March 2019.
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, said:“With the European Athletics Indoor Championships returning to Scotland for the first time since 1990, I am pleased the medals for this major sporting event have been designed in Scotland in collaboration with The Glasgow School of Art.”
“The Glasgow School of Art is one of Europe’s leading higher education institutions and recent graduate Andrew Fleming has created stunning contemporary pieces that will add quality to this event.”
“The medals also provide a link between Scotland’s cultural heritage and major sporting events, and will build on the successful cultural programme run alongside the recent European Championships.”
Billy Garrett, Director of Sport and Events at Glasgow Life and Co-Chair of the Glasgow 2019 Steering Committee, said:“Since early conversations we have been hugely excited about showcasing the talent we have here in the city and giving The Glasgow School of Art graduates the recognition they deserve.
“To have the Championship medals designed right in the heart of the city where the athletes will compete for them in March, is truly special. I’m sure you’ll agree Andrew’s design is incredibly eye-catching and unique and we’re really looking forward to having the opportunity to showcase these designs across the three days of competition.’
Official Championship Ambassador, Laura Muir, pictured with medals
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Winning a Championship medal is extremely special for any athlete as it represents the culmination of all their hard work and to be able to award them one that is so iconic of the place in which they won it is fantastic.
“The partnership with The Glasgow School of Art and Andrew’s outstanding design are a wonderful reflection of Scotland and its reputation as the deliverer of world-class and innovative events. The European Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 2019 is part of an amazing portfolio of international sporting events taking place across Scotland this year and I look forward to welcoming athletics fans to Emirates Arena next month for what promises to be three days of outstanding action.”
Cherry Alexander MBE, Major Events Director at British Athletics and Sport Director for Glasgow 2019, said: “With just two weeks to go, the excitement is really building for the European Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 2019! It’s fantastic to be at this exciting point in the lead up to the event with the medal reveal. They are a brilliant ode to the city of Glasgow and it will be great to see winning athletes from all over Europe wearing these medals after a hard-fought victory on the athletics track.”
The Emirates Arena, built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, has a capacity of 5000 and is one of the largest indoor sports venues in Europe hosting a diverse range of sporting events throughout the year.
The European Athletics Indoor championship Glasgow 2019 is guaranteed to give the Scottish crowd unmissable entertainment. The full competition schedule is now live on www.glasgow2019athletics.comwith limited tickets available across some events.
–ENDS–
For more information please contact Mark Horsburgh at Material:
M: 07828383833
For further information on The Glasgow School of Art contact:
Notes to Editors
Tickets are now on-sale on the event’s website: www.glasgow2019athletics.com
The 35thEuropean Athletics Indoor Championships will welcome 600 athletes, 400 coaches and team staff from over 45 countries.
The anticipated number of spectators is 18,000 across the three days.
More than 700 accredited media are expected to attend, with accreditation due to open later this year.
The Glasgow School of Art
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) was founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, as a centre of creativity promoting good design for the manufacturing industries of Glasgow. However, the School’s lineage can be traced to 1753 when Robert Foulis established a school of art and design in Glasgow, which was described as the single most influential factor in the development of eighteenth-century Scottish Art. Today, The GSA is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading university-level institutions for the visual creative disciplines. Our studio-based approach to research and teaching brings disciplines together to explore problems in new ways to find innovative solutions. The studio creates the environment for inter-disciplinary working, peer learning, critical inquiry, experimentation and prototyping, helping to addressing many of the great challenges confronting society and contemporary business.
EventScotland
EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org. Follow EventScotland on Twitter @EventScotNews.
EventScotland is a team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland. For more information about VisitScotland seewww.visitscotland.org or for consumer information on Scotland as a visitor destination see www.visitscotland.com.