2023 Awardee: Tessa Mackenzie

YEAR OF AWARD: 2023
AGE AT AWARD: 28
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:http://www.tessamackenzie.com/
 
 

Biography

Tessa Mackenzie is a glassworker and illustrator based in Glasgow. She is interested in research-led projects, material focus in the built environment, and storytelling.

Tessa moved from London to Glasgow in 2012 to study Communication Design at the Glasgow School of Art. Since graduating she has developed a material-led practice, with a focus around how Stained Glass can enhance the way we experience architecture and the role it has to play in telling the stories of people that occupy a space.

Tessa has worked freelance since graduating, with selected clients including the BBC, Scottish Government, NHS, The Princes Foundation, Mind, Elephant Magazine and University of Edinburgh. She has also been featured by the BBC, Creative Review, It’s Nice That and Wallpaper.

How the Award Helped

Tessa’s Award supported her to explore the technique of acid etching. As Tessa is a self-taught stained glass maker, she didn’t have the opportunity to learn complex techniques in a traditional environment. Her Dewar Award allowed her to seek private tuition, access necessary facilities, cover material expenses and allocate dedicated time. This financial backing not only allowed her to learn the ancient technique but also paved the way for her to confidently explore innovative methods of production, enhancing and elevating her artistic practice.

Since the Award

In August 2024, Tessa opened The Glaziers Arms, a new studio that offers workshops, stained glass windows and glass homewares in Glasgow’s East End.

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4 July 2022

Blog from Jill Miller

Jill Miller, Chair of the Dewar Arts Awards, discusses our new funding stream.

Having recently stepped into the role as Chair of the Dewar Arts Awards, the responsibility for ensuring that we invest our funds with those who truly need us has never been more pressing.

After two years of a pandemic and the ever-increasing price of food and energy (in fact everything we need in our daily lives), we’re even more focused on connecting with talented young people who need funds to be able to pursue or develop their talent – across any art form.

And now, thanks to the support of the William Grant Foundation, we have additional resources to invest for the next three years. We want to use these funds to extend the work we do to support young people from across Scotland who have a passion and talent in the arts and in related craft areas.

So, if you know someone who is pursuing a specialist craft skill in leather work, glassmaking, jewellery, textiles, wood, stone, instrument making… please connect them with us via www.dewarawards.org

Our application process is simple – visit our Apply page for further guidance and to submit your application. If you require further please contact: admin@dewarawards.org

Read the news article: New funds to support talented young people across Scotland

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New funds to support talented young people across Scotland

The £90,000 fund will enable the Trustees to broaden the scope of their work.

As the Dewar Arts Awards enter their 21st year, the Trustees are delighted to announce that we have a new £90,000 fund to support ambitious, talented young people across Scotland, thanks to support from the William Grant Foundation.

The new fund, to be invested over a 3-year period, will enable the Trustees to broaden the scope of their work. Trustees are keen to receive applications from young people who have a passion for developing their talent or skills across a broad range of interests including:

  • craft skills – supporting training to work with stone, textiles, wood, leather, metals, glass
  • traditional rural skills – you may need help with training / materials / equipment

or

  • you may need help to fund classes or courses that will help you to develop your talent across any art form

The Trustees are committed to inclusion and diversity and are keen to hear from young people of all backgrounds including those who may be care experienced or from under-represented communities.

Applying is easy – find out more and submit your application via our Apply page. However, if you feel you need help you can always contact us at admin@dewardawards.org for further information and support.

The fund is open now and we look forward to hearing from you!

Visit our application page to read further guidance and submit your application.

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Dewar Arts Awards - Supporting Scotland's young artistic talent
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2020 Awardee: Edward Howat

edward howat sculptor

“I feel very privileged to be awarded the Dewar Arts Award. This award has allowed me access to the tools I needed to advance my career in the direction I wanted.”  

YEAR OF AWARD: 2020
AGE AT AWARD: 27
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:https://www.mothmetropolis.com/
 
TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/mothmetropolis

Biography

Having lived in Scotland all his life and harbouring a great interest in many art mediums, Edward graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2014 with a degree in production arts and design. During his final year at RCS he discovered a passion and unknown talent for sculpting. This interest led him to experiment and hone his skills and become extremely proficient within a few months, choosing an ambitious realistic sculpture as his final university project.

Edwards’ career as a prop maker and sculptor immediately started out strong. He accepted work with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, teaching possible future students how to sculpt in clay for a silicone prosthetics application.

In 2014, Edward won the Young Artist of the Year award at the Spring Fling festival in Dumfries and Galloway. This allowed him to participate in the festival and gain more recognition. That same year, Edward secured freelance work as a prop maker on the popular TV show ‘Outlander’ and has since made hundreds of props for the production.

Around 2016, Edward’s interests began to move from prop making to solely sculpting. After this point most of his commission work and learning went towards sculpture. In 2017, he was commissioned by Museum Context in Edinburgh to create a sculpture for one of their shop displays – a 4.5ft long Basilisk head from Harry Potter.

Looking to the future, Edward plans to continue his sculpting career by entering the world of 3D modelling. He hopes to become a well-established and successful digital artist.

How the Award Helped

Receiving a Dewar Arts Award has enabled Edward to further his training, refine his skills, and stay up to date with the latest technologies. This will support him on his journey to become a world-class digital sculptor.

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edward howat sculptor

“I feel very privileged to be awarded the Dewar Arts Award. This award has allowed me access to the tools I needed to advance my career in the direction I wanted.”  

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2018 Awardee: Jean Oberlander

"I am so grateful for the continued support in my education, it means so much to me"

YEAR OF AWARD: 2018
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:https://www.oberjean.co.uk/
 
 

Biography

Jean gained a First Class Honours Degree from Gray’s School of Art, where she studied BA Fashion and Textile Design. The course enabled her to experiment within both spheres of material and body using hand and machine knitting. Her degree collection won the Alexandrina McKenzie Legacy Award, a Highly Commended in the BP Graduate Design Award, and was selected for the Visual Arts Scotland Graduate Showcase at the Royal Scottish Academy.

In 2017 Jean moved to London after gaining a place on the MA Textiles course at the Royal College of Art, specialising in Knit. Her MA dissertation received a distinction, and she gave a paper at the “In the Loop” knitting academic conference in July 2018.

Jean continues to work between the body and space to create knitted pieces that are both familiar and unfamiliar. She uses knitting, mark making and writing in her practice to convey the metaphors of the knitted stitch. In the future, she aims to build on her MA and continue to push the boundaries in knit further.

How the Award Helped

Jean received a Dewar Arts Award to support her MA studies at the Royal College of Art.

On achieving her award, Jean said: “Without the Dewar Award I would have not been able to attend the RCA at all. The support meant I was able to pay for tuition fees and materials, without which I would have not been able to make work of any standard. I am so grateful for the continued support in my education, it means so much to me and being on this course has enabled me to build more confidence in my work as well as making connections and experimenting in a supportive and innovative environment. I am eternally grateful for the support in making sure I am able to build a better future for myself.”

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"I am so grateful for the continued support in my education, it means so much to me"

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2018 Awardee: Lois Langmead

"I am extremely grateful for the support. Without the Award I would not have been able to accept my place."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2018
AGE AT AWARD: 26
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:https://www.loislangmead.com/
EMAIL:loislangmead@gmail.com
 

Biography

Lois moved to Glasgow in 2011 to embark on a BA (Hons) in Communication Design at the Glasgow School of Art, specialising in Illustration. She graduated in 2015 with a First Class degree. The depth of her research for her final projects made a great impression on the assessment team, both for the eloquence of her writing and the manner in which her ideas were firmly embedded and evident in her making. One of her degree show pieces, a delicate, intricate, finely worked sculptural embroidery went on to win the student Jerwood Drawing Prize for 2015. From there, she remained in Glasgow and continued to self fund her practice.

Lois has exhibited throughout the UK. She has proved herself to be a thoughtful and imaginative artist with a strong research ethic and excellent analytical skills. She is adventurous and playful with her practice, serious and personally engaged with her work and sensitive in her use of materials. This gained her a place to study on the MA Textiles Mixed Media course at the Royal College of Art, enabling her to further her practice alongside her academic development. This offered the ideal next step for Lois, who finds engagement with textiles fascinating, resourceful and experiemental.

How the Award Helped

Lois received a Dewar Arts Award to support her postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Art.

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"I am extremely grateful for the support. Without the Award I would not have been able to accept my place."

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2016 Awardee: Emily Martin

"Without the Dewar Arts Award I wouldn’t have been able to begin studying my MFA in Textiles this year, thus not having access to the necessary space and equipment to develop my skills and ideas. I will always be grateful for this support."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2016
AGE AT AWARD: 27
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Emily Martin was born and raised in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.  From there she moved to Edinburgh to commence her undergraduate studies at the Edinburgh College of Art.

Proving herself to be an exceptional student, Emily graduated in 2013 with a First Class Honours Degree in Textiles.  She received the John L Paterson Award for Best Graduating Degree Show, as well as the Worshipful Company of Dyers Prize.

After graduating, Emily stayed in Edinburgh.  She worked for Walker Slater, a local tweed clothing retailer, and for Artlink, an arts and disability organisation. This provided much inspiration and learning for her developing practice.

Emily is a screen-printer at heart, who considers the environmental impact of the process. In 2016 she was accepted onto a two-year MFA course at ECA, enabling her to fully explore the possibilities of natural dyes in textile printmaking.  Her aim is to develop these into sustainable contemporary clothing that will appeal to a wider audience, and also incorporating hand embroidery.  This is Emily’s hand craft of choice and she is passionate about keeping the skill alive and relevant today.

How the Award Helped

Emily received an Award to support her MFA studies at the Edinburgh College of Art.

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"Without the Dewar Arts Award I wouldn’t have been able to begin studying my MFA in Textiles this year, thus not having access to the necessary space and equipment to develop my skills and ideas. I will always be grateful for this support."

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2016 Awardee: Matt Wilson

"I am delighted and deeply grateful to be given the Dewar Award. It will definitely allow me to expand my practise as an artist even further, at the Royal College of Art."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2016
AGE AT AWARD: 24
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Matt Wilson is an innovative printmaker, whose practice investigates digital and analogue print methods through art and design methodologies.

Matt’s work explores the tension between two forces meeting in opposition, and how balance can exist within this tension. In his practice, these forces have manifested themselves as the relationship between the man-made and the natural, as social hostility, and as cultural conflict.

Matt graduated with a degree in Fine Art, from the University of Dundee, where he specialised in printmaking. During his degree, he was selected for the 2014 RSA New Contemporaries Exhibition, and was awarded the Walter Scott Global Investment Award and the Art in Healthcare Purchase Prize.

Matt has exhibited in galleries across the UK, including the Hatton Gallery (Newcastle) and The Fleming Collection (London).

How the Award Helped

Matt’s Award supported him in studying the MA Fine Art Print course at the Royal College of Art.

Since the Award

2014 Walter Scott Global Investment Award
2014 Art in Healthcare Purchase Prize
RSA New Contemporaries 2014: Selected Artist
2013 Frameworks Prize

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"I am delighted and deeply grateful to be given the Dewar Award. It will definitely allow me to expand my practise as an artist even further, at the Royal College of Art."

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2016 Awardee: Katie Schwab

"The Dewar Arts Award has contributed enormously to my time undertaking the MFA Graduate Fellowship at Glasgow Sculpture Studios."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2016
AGE AT AWARD: 29
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:https://www.katieschwab.com/
 
 

Biography

Katie Schwab moved from London to Glasgow in 2013, to study an MFA at the Glasgow School of Art.  There she developed her impressive style of practice – making sophisticated use of materials and sculptural processes in a critically engaging way.

Katie was awarded the MFA Graduate Fellowship at Glasgow Sculpture Studios, based on her work presented at the MFA Degree Show. This prestigious annual award is presented to an artist who demonstrates artistic excellence and a commitment to maintaining a studio-based contemporary sculptural practice.

Exhibitions and projects include: Together in a Room, Collective, Edinburgh; Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Backlit, Nottingham and ICA, London; My love is like a red red rose. Art in Scotland from 18th to 21st Century, Musée du Château des ducs de Wurtemberg, Montbéliard; Fresh, British Ceramics Biennial, The Original Spode Factory Site, Stoke-on-Trent; The Grind, Voidoidarchive, Glasgow and Project Visible, Tate Modern. 2015 graduate residency at Hospitalfield, Arbroath.

How the Award Helped

Katie’s Award supported her work on the MFA Graduate Fellowship.  This enabled her to experiment across the GSS workshops, to work with new materials and to explore new forms of production and collaboration in the run-up to an exhibition.

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"The Dewar Arts Award has contributed enormously to my time undertaking the MFA Graduate Fellowship at Glasgow Sculpture Studios."

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2015 Awardee: Louis Alderson-Bythell

I couldn’t have done any of this without the amazing support of the [Dewar Arts Award] which allowed me to pursue my studies and take my work, craft and thinking to the next level.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2015
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:http://www.lvboratory.com
EMAIL:louis@lvboratory.com
 

Biography

Now based in London, Louis is an artist who is curious about the ways we relate to nature through scientific, social and spiritual lenses. Primarily working in Sculpture; biological intelligences, deep time and environmental elasticity are important references in their work. Louis works with materials drawn from the local environments the works are intended for, using living organisms and reclaimed materials and often involving local communities in the development of these works.

A graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art and the Royal College of Art, Louis is dedicated and meticulous, with a passion and energy for developing his skills, collaborating with researchers from many fields such as Insect Behavioural Ecology, Lichenology and Artificial Intelligence develop the concepts within their work.

In 2015, Louis was offered a place to study on a masters course at the prestigious Royal College of Art.

www.lvboratory.com
www.instagram.com/__l.a.b__

How the Award Helped

Louis received a Dewar Arts Award to support his masters studies at the RCA. The creative context of the postgraduate course will help Louis to further develop his craft and grow as a designer.

Since the Award

September 2023
Since receiving his Award, Louis’ career has gone from strength to strength. He writes:

‘I graduated from the RCA in 2017, since then I have been involved in many exciting projects that have culminated in how I develop my own creative work now, drawing inspiration from ecology, the sciences and community groups. I was a founder of Copenhagen based creative Studio ‘Material Think Space’ as well as a starting founder of the pollina­tion technology company ‘Olombria’. These experiences have shaped my own independent practice between arts and ecology.’

A former resident of the Sarabande Foundation, established by Lee Alexander McQueen. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at ArtNight London, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Vigeland Museum, Thorvaldens Museum, and Rotterdam Art Week. Their most recent work is a ‘Biochronological Clock’ in collaboration with Gothamie Weerakoon – curator of lichen at the Natural History Museum.

Louis is an Associate Lecturer at the RCA in the School of Design.

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I couldn’t have done any of this without the amazing support of the [Dewar Arts Award] which allowed me to pursue my studies and take my work, craft and thinking to the next level.

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