2016 Awardee: Joanne Dawson

"By staying in Glasgow and making this my indefinite base for working, I believe I'm able to flourish in a supportive environment full of opportunity."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2016
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:https://www.joannedawson.co.uk/
EMAIL:info@joannedawson.co.uk
TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/joanne_dawson

Biography

Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Joanne moved to Glasgow in 2012 to study Painting and Printmaking at the Glasgow School of Art.  Whilst there she was an active and engaged member of the student community, demonstrating a mature and driven attitude to her studies.  With a group of her peers, she arranged a series of collaborative exhibitions with the Edinburgh College of Art, and after graduation continued in roles with GSA Exhibitions and The Students’ Association.

Joanne organised an exhibition of Glasgow graduates at Blipblipblip in Leeds, was selected for The Telfer Gallery and EMBASSY Gallery’s annual graduate shows, and held her first solo show at VoidoidARCHIVE.

In 2017, Joanne had her first group international show in Madrid, and exhibited as part of the Glasgow International Arts Festival in 2016.

Joanne is a collaborator in Babaloose; a bi-monthly event in Glasgow. Babaloose uses open platform events, discussions & workshops to promote the politics of performing, and the power of an audience as a creative community.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award allowed Joanne to facilitate the production and development of research for her first solo show in Glasgow, and her first contributing publication “Stop! Slow down, take a minute” (available throughout the exhibition and at Good Press, Glasgow).  The project involved cross-collaboration with artists in Scotland and Madrid.

Since the Award

Having completed her first solo exhibition, Joanne updated us on her progress.

“Prior to the Dewar Award and 2017 in particular, I found it hard to determine what was a good opportunity that would enhance my career, or what was exploitative and without any recognition of time or free-labour. The experience of this exhibition has left me able to recognise what will be beneficial and progressive for my future artistic career.

I found receiving the Dewar Award, and working with the curatorial body ‘Very Friendly’ (now Love Unlimited), a very supportive moment of my career to date, and hope for this to happen again in the near future. The exhibition was highly regarded, and has enabled a string of opportunities since. I have been asked to take part in other exhibitions, as well as a number of solo-shows – another one in Glasgow and my first in Newcastle. As well as this, I am currently progressing with a mentorship programme and collaboration with the design duo ‘Tenement’ who make bespoke furniture for clients and organisations, based in Glasgow.

My development as an artist during this time has lead to more professional responsibility…This element allows me to see the business side of creative professions and taking the roles of many; manager, advertiser, producer, application writer. I see creative development as much about output, as much as commenting on the changes to arts that are currently underway, and how this will affect future generations of artists.

The Dewar Award has genuinely helped me develop so much in the last year and I hope that this progression continues.”

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"By staying in Glasgow and making this my indefinite base for working, I believe I'm able to flourish in a supportive environment full of opportunity."

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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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2011 Awardee: Kirsty Hendry

I would be delighted to accept your offer of an award. My sincere thanks to trustees for their generous support.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2011
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

From Scone in Perthshire, Kirsty graduated from art college in Aberdeen with a first-class degree in printmaking. As a second-year student she was nominated for The Cross Trust Study Vacation Award which enabled her to attend a papermaking course in Takashima, Japan. In her third year she was selected to take part in the Peacock Visual Arts Internship Programme where she worked with and assisted the master printers. At that time she stood out as more focussed and talented than her peers.

Her final degree was visually brilliant and critically engaging and Kirsty is considered to have the potential to become a leader in the field of print-making in the future. After graduation, she won a coveted place at the RCA to study for a Master of Printmaking. She went to the RCA with the clear objective to push her work in a new a challenging direction. This has been realised as she saw her work going in new, exciting and previously unexplored territories.

Kirsty feels that printmaking is an art form which is becoming increasingly marginalised and her ambition is to return to Scotland and invest her printmaking skills into the Scottish art scene. Changes in her family circumstances threatened to put a halt to Kirsty’s exciting career.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award enabled Kirsty to complete her MA in Printmaking.

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I would be delighted to accept your offer of an award. My sincere thanks to trustees for their generous support.

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2008 Awardee: Linsay Croall

I was delighted to receive ... your support. The award will allow me to take full advantage of the opportunities that studying at the Tamarind Institute provides.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 25
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Born and raised in Edinburgh’s Leith area, Linsay moved to Aberdeen when she entered Gray’s School of Art in 2000. In 2004 she was awarded the John Kinross scholarship from the RSA and received the David Gordon Memorial.

After graduation, Linsay worked as a print-maker for the Edinburgh Printmakers and, currently, she works part-time for Peacock Visual Arts. She is also developing her own art practice. Linsay has a developing interest in lithography, which is a dwindling artform in Scotland.

After a brief summer workshop at the Tamarind Institute in New Mexico, she applied for and was accepted onto their nine-month, intensive Professional Printer Training Programme. Linsay will be the first Scottish print-maker for over twenty years to study at this internationally renowned centre of excellence. During the course she will strengthen and refine her technical skills in both stone and plate lithography.

When she returns to Scotland, Linsay hopes to pass on her skills to others, as well as develop her own art practice and collaborate with other visual artists.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will enable Linsay to take up this unique opportunity to study at the Tamarind Institute.

Since the Award

Studying lithography in the dry heat of New Mexico offers unique challenges. Linsay was told that “if you can print a stone in the desert, you can print a stone anywhere.” The intensive course comprised learning the techniques of stone lithography and then collaborating with artists to produce and edition their work.

Linsay writes that, “In the few months since [I returned to the Peacock Gallery] I’ve already editioned six stones with invited artists, have an ambitious one drawn up and ready to etch and various tests ongoing. All the artists have been delighted with the results so far …” The Education Director of the Tamarind Institute commented that the graduate art students at the Institute wanted to work with Linsay because of the special attention she gave to their collaborations.

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I was delighted to receive ... your support. The award will allow me to take full advantage of the opportunities that studying at the Tamarind Institute provides.

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