31 May 2013

Prizes and plaudits for graduating students

Picture shows Katy Birchall receiving her prize from Design in Action Deputy Director Michael Marra.

The endeavours of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design students who exhibited at the 2013 DJCAD Degree Show have been rewarded with prizes and plaudits for their work.

A record attendance of 12,500 flocked to this year's Degree Show, and many of the exhibits that wowed the visitors have earned recognition for their creators as well as generating interest from employers, galleries and other organisations.

Professor Tom Inns, Dean of DJCAD, said, "Those students who exhibited this year are the star artists and designers of tomorrow and I am not surprised by the accolades they have received.

"Congratulations are due to all those students who won awards or were selected for other prestigious exhibitions - I'm sure we'll be hearing more about them in the future."

Graduating Fine Art students Fraser Brownlee, Dorian Braun and Johnny Lyons have each won John Kinross Scholarships from the Royal Scottish Academy. These awards, each worth £2000, enable final year and postgraduate artists and architects to spend a period of 6-12 weeks in Florence to carry out research and develop their practice.

Three Animation students each won £200 for prizes sponsored by computer games companies, with Sheng Li winning the Best Story (Denki) award, Jennifer Pattison the Best Digital Portfolio (Outplay) and Nuria Valderon Balsas Best Animation (Tag Games).

Other award-winning students from this year's Degree Show include:

• Carnegie Trust 'TEST-TOWN' Award (£1000) - Paula Grubb (Interior Environmental Design).
• Design in Action Prize for Commercial Potential (£500) - Katy Birchall (Textile Design).
• Dyer's Craft Award for Best Use of Colour (£150 each) - Alice Newman and Edyta Zagorska (both Illustration).
• Lindsay's Photography Award (£500) - Gordon Miller (Time Based Art and Digital Film).
• Tayberry Gallery Prize (£100) - Lucie Hunter (Jewellery & Metal Design).
• Frameworks Gallery Prize (£500 worth of free framing) - Matthew Wilson (Fine Art)
• Ninewells Hospital Radiology Prize (piece of work purchased) - Allan Davies (Fine Art).

In addition, Shona Cairns (Interior Environmental Design) has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious Janine Stone Interior Designer of the Year Award. The winner will receive a £10,000 cash prize and the opportunity to take up a six-month paid internship at Janine Stone's London or Manchester studios.

Lindsay McQuarrie (Textile Design) will take up a year's paid internship with the international company Brora, while Alasdair Taylor (Jewellery & Metal Design) has also won an internship as part of the NEO Gallery Prize. Alasdair's classmate Pamela Goodman has been selected to exhibit her work in the independent Darkroom shop during London Jewellery Week.

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