Student Textile Art Award

13/07/2022

Even more good news today: confirmation that Immediate Live are going to support us with this new award, and the final winner will have a solo gallery at the Knitting & Stitching Shows. These prestigious shows have been trail-blazers for textile arts as well as crafts since 1987. This confirms the companies continuing commitment to promoting textiles art as a valid art form, and encouraging new and innovative students to make their careers in our world. Our new award will sit beautifully alongside the already established Fine Art Textiles Award.
This is a fantastic prize and opportunity for any new textile artist - and I'm so grateful to the show for coming on board with this ongoing comittmenet, especially in such financially hard times.
We are getting very close to being able to give you a proper timline and full details ... and the all important launch date and criteria for entry!! So PlLEASE KEEP SHARING this page and get others to come and like us, so they know when we go live too xx

12/07/2022

Hello to lots of new page members ❤️, and welcome. I'm delighted to confirm our second judge for the SAT award, Janice Gunner - another previous winner of ther CHF award, who has gone on and developed an awesome career in textile art. Janice is a distinguished and sought after quilt judge all over the world - so we are honoured she has agreed to join us. Shge is also of course, a supremely taleneted textile artist. Her many awards include:
• Lifetime Achievement Award for services to quilting - 2019
• City & Guilds Medal for Excellence as a lecturer - 2018
• The Amy Emms MBE Award for Services to Quilting - 2008
• The Jewel Pearce Patterson Award for International Quilt Teachers - 1999
• City & Guilds Medal for Excellence, (First Prize) Patchwork and Quilting

This is one of her many beautiiul quilts: 'African Odyssey II'

08/07/2022

While I was at Forge Mill Needle Museum & Bordesley Abbey Visitor Centre sorting out details with Jo - I was able to look through some of the old catalogues for the Charles Henry Foyle Award. Theses were the finalists in each year, and there were so many well known names. For example - in 1998 - the wonderful Janice Gunner ❤️❤️

05/07/2022

Herse a link to view Art Textiles: Made in Britains exhigbtion at Minerva in 2019. My last outing as curator for the group xx

Wild is a touring exhibition featuring work by members of the textile art group Art Textiles Made in Britain, plus guests. It is on display in the main galle...

05/07/2022

Hello - and welcome to all our new followers – thank you for joining us and it’s wonderful to see you here.
I want to introduce another of the galleries supporting us with this new award: The Minerva Arts Centre in Powys. Not just an arts centre, this is also the home of the Quilt Association, who collect and care for an amazing collection of heritage and more modern quilts, now numbering over 220. The associated arts centre and gallery, have a long running interest and commitment to textile arts, and have hosted some brilliant exhibitions over the years. I’ll post a couple of links to videos from these, so you can see the space. Its great to see an organisation that is immersed in quilt history and tradition, take an active interest and part in promoting our beloved textiles as a valid art form. So, we are delighted to have them as part of our gallery team
Here’s a link to their website, where you can find out more about them and what exhibitions are coming up xx


https://www.quilt.org.uk/

01/07/2022

We are delighted to announce the first confirmed member of our judging panel - and its the wonderfully talented Angie Hughes. Another of my early art textile icons - I'm certain you will all know Angie and her work. And what is partucarly lovely, is that Angie was an early winner of the Charles Henry Foyle award, which is our model for this new competiion. So living proof of how powerful this sort of award can be in helping someone launch a career in our textile world. A truly talented artist, with a confirmed commitment to teaching others as well - welcome aboard Angie xx

29/06/2022

A very good question!! So let me tell you as little more about what we are planning. Some of you may remember the Charles Henry Foyle award, which ran during the 1990s and first 10 years of the 2000s. It offered prizes, including gallery showing, for adult textile students. It became very prestigious and helped launch some of our best known textile artists on their way: Angie Hughes, Laura Kemshall, Marie Roper, Lesley Brankin, Jenny Rolfe and Sandra Meech. Sadly, it was discontinued over 10 years ago, and I feel its loss has been felt. I’ve been wanting to create something similar for a while, then Covid bounced up and delayed things a bit!!
But I’m now ready to get this going. And with encouragement from lovely Chris Shercliff at the Minerva Arts Centre, I decided I could make this work. Next I chatted with Bethan Ash – and she was really keen too, and happy to provide exhibiting space at her Queen Street Gallery, plus help me with getting funding. I already knew Jo at the Needle Museum was interested – and a quick email confirmed that.
So, we have 3 confirmed venues, with 3 beautiful gallery spaces for exhibitions. I’m also talking with two of the largest textile shows. And they are very interested in being involved, and offering gallery space to a winner. And we are also hoping to bring on board a gallery in London, which will give us some fantastic venues for the award winners.
The competition will be judged by some of top textile artists in the UK. We have probably the two best known artists in the UK interested in being involved with this … they too are passionate about art textiles and encouraging new, excellent and innovative artists. When I get definite names for the judging panel, I will let you know straight away.
I’m hammering down logistical details with Jo early next week and I’ll then let you know exactly how this will all work.
What I do know – is that we are planning to launch the competition in September this year – so only a couple of months. So please, please spread the word and get people aware … and preferably here (SAT award FB page ) so I know they are aware!!
More soon – Hilary xx

25/06/2022

I’ve just had confirmation that the Needle Museum in Redditch, will be providing one of the galleries in which finalists and the ultimate winner will exhibit their work. A gorgeous gallery space and well known for fantastic textile exhibitions. It was also the original venue and base for the Charles Henry Foyle award, which helped launch many well-known textile artists on their way, including Sandra Meech, Laura Kemshall, my lovely tutor, Marie Roper and my pal Jenny Rolfe amongst others. It ended over a decade ago now, but was the inspiration for this new award. So please share this page to others who might be interested. Tell your tutors too, as they will be asked to recommend students and I'm sure many will want to do that. And tell your friends - the page will be the place to find information and follow the competition. Plus, we will be posting tips for students, interviews with other textile artists on what they think is important in creating a career in this arena and lots more. Please help me spread this news. Over 100 came and joined yesterday - which was fantastic - thank you. Hoping to see lots more today xx

https://www.facebook.com/ForgeMillMuseum

24/06/2022

Welcome 😃😃 Thank you so much for joining us. There will be lots more information arriving here over the next week or so ... so do check back often xx