Success of students crowned with prestigious Best College award
Images: Best Silversmith winner, Scott Smith’s, “Gosset Celebris” champagne stopper; Sarah McQuarrie’s Gold award-winning “20 tonne gold ring” design, (Medal Design category) and Caitlin Murphy’s Gold award-winning “Punch Drunk” silver shots design (Mark Your Mark category)
The Glasgow School of Art has been named Best College in the 2021 Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Awards, aka the Jewellery “Oscars”. The annual awards recognise the very best in Silversmithing and Jewellery talent from work by current students to designs by leading professionals. This year saw over 700 submissions – the largest ever number. Students from the GSA picked up eight Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, and as a result The Glasgow School of Art received the prestigious Best College award.
Entrants have impressed beyond imagination considering the limitations that prevented access to workshops, materials and support.
Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Awards judges
2021 Gold award winners from the GSA were 3rd year student, Sarah McQuarrie, who was recognised in the Medal Design category and 3rd Year student, Caitlin Murphy, in the Make your Mark category.
Sarah won the prize for “20 tonne gold ring” – a response to a brief that asked designers to consider the major issue of land erosion. The judges said that she “approached the issue with passion and sensitivity”. Sarah also picked up a Bronze award in the Small Workers category.
Caitlin won her Gold award for “Punch Drunk” – a set of five silver shots, which were designed in response to the challenge to create an item of jewellery, small work or silverware that promotes, enhances and celebrates the London Hallmark. The judges said of Caitlin’s work “she showed professionalism of presentation, accuracy to the brief and full consideration of the design, and created a captivating concept.”
Meanwhile, 4th year student Scott Smith scooped the Silversmith’s award for the second year in a row. His response to a brief from the prestigious champagne brand Gosset Celebris to create a unique stopper to preserve the champagne for a minimum of three days after it is opened was described by the judges as “stand out”. It is hoped that the design will be taken into commercial production. 4th year student Caius Bearder also won a Bronze award in this category.
Other GSA winners were 4th year students Pui Chu (Silver Award in the NAJ award category); Niamh Ireland(Bronze award in the Small Workers category) and Sally Shepherd (Bronze award in the Medal Design category)
“We are so proud of our students’ achievements in this year’s Goldsmiths Craft and Design Awards especially against such stiff competition,” says Anna Gordon, Head of Silversmithing & Jewellery at The Glasgow School of Art “Their success reflects the quality both of thinking and making that they bring to their designs.”
Work by Caius Bearder, Pui Chu, Niamh Ireland and Scott Smith will be on show in the GSA Graduate Showcase 2021 which launches online on 9 June at www.gsashowcase.net
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For further information contact:
Lesley Booth
07799414474
Notes for Editors
Award briefs
Gosset Celebris Silversmith award
To further complement and enhance Champagne Gosset’s most exclusive quality wine, and alongside its recent redesigning of the Celebris packaging, as illustrated, you are invited to design a visually distinctive and unique stopper to preserve the champagne for a minimum of three days after it is opened.
Along with winning this prestigious Award, the designer will also be invited to visit Gosset in France and have the possibility of the design taken into commercial production
Small Works: A Brighter Future
We all recognise, applaud and admire the countless heroes and heroines who have assisted us throughout the lockdown and beyond but equally, reflect on the tragedy of losing many loved ones. Central to fighting Covid-19 is our National Health Service (NHS), an appreciation of which has been identified by the rainbow motif in the windows of many homes and businesses as an abiding symbol of hope, strength and determination to fight and overcome the pandemic. Designers are invited to examine colour, in all its glory and diversity, as the starting point for the design of a piece of smallwork. The proposal should seek to reflect and celebrate the NHS as well as the other key workers working selflessly for a recovery and a bright future.
MEDAL – Land Erosion
Land erosion – design a medal to depict and represent this. Erosion is the wearing away of the earth’s surface by action of water, wind, glacial, snow etc. The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land. It has led to increased pollution and sedimentation in streams and rivers, clogging waterways and causing declines in fish and other species. Degraded land is also often less able to hold onto water, which in turn, can worsen flooding. There are numerous types of soil erosion, including; splash, sheet, rill and gully. Water and wind cause rock to break away from our natural landscape i.e. mountains. Use both sides of the medal giving the opportunity to illustrate interconnected or contrasting aspects of land loss
NAJ award: Diversity and Inclusion
Designers are invited to examine diversity and inclusion and to explore how this can be represented or symbolised. This can be creatively interpreted in the widest possible way and relate to any section in the competition. For example, an item of jewellery, a piece of silverware, smallwork, lapidary, engraving, modelling, chasing, a statement of technology etc.
Make your Mark
Make Your Mark (MYM) is the UK’s biggest information event for apprentices and students of jewellery, silversmithing and allied trades. Led by the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office and held at Goldsmiths’ Hall, this annual educational convention has quickly grown into an immensely popular, important and valuable event for advice and networking opportunities. For 2020/21, the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office and GC&DC teams have come together to create the Make Your Mark 2D Design Award in the Goldsmiths’ competition.
On a theme or topic of choice, design an item of jewellery, smallwork or silverware that promotes, enhances and celebrates the London Hallmark. Of crucial importance, will be the scale of the idea that will enable the hallmarks to be a beautiful, contributory and complimentary feature and integral part of the design.
The outright winner of the MYM award will be offered mentoring sessions with designer makers, and an invitation to an Assay Office event as soon as they can return to their normal programme schedule.