Ten Fife craftspeople, inlcuding Ladybank based textile artist Claire Heminsley, have been awarded grants in a second, highly competitive round of bids for assistance to progress their careers taking them from teaching others, to dealing with major UK retailers to exhibiting in international galleries.

Claire wil use her award to prepare new work for an exhibition to be held in the Collins Gallery, Glasgow early next year. She has an impressive record of Scottish and international exhibitions of her work and special commissions.

The awards, totalling £5000, were presented at a special event in Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery on Tuesday 15th April when the grants selection panel had the opportunity to congratulate each of the successful craftspeople and explain more about why such grants are important to Fife.

Babs McCool of Arts and Theatres Trust Fife and the selection panel, said, "The creative sector is very important to Fife, both culturally and economically, and has many benefits such attracting tourism and raising the area's profile in the UK and internationally. We are very fortunate that Fife is so rich in creative talent and these grants enable the makers selected to progress their work even further on a professional and commercial basis."

The judging panel assessed 27applications and selected the ten successful applicants on the strength of their wide ranging creative craft skills and success to date.

The Scottish Arts Council provided the impetus and part-funded the scheme with Arts and Theatres Trust Fife, Creativefife, a new Fife Council and Scottish Enterprise Initiative and Fife Contemporary Art and Craft.

The selection panel consisted of Arts and Theatres Trust Fife, Fife Contemporary Art and Craft, Janet Shelley, Course Director of Textile Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee, Creativefife.

 Other recipients include

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  • Charonne Ruth (Cupar) - a glassmaker who will train alongside former award winner Gavin Burnett of MAKE in Gateside in specialist techniques for work going to the Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery in Pittsburgh, USA.

     

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  • Helen Gallogly (Newport on Tay) - a textile artist whose recent fabric designs for furniture, throws and wallpapers have attracted attention from Laura Ashley, Liberty and other interior design studios. Helen will use her grant to develop her range to show these major retailers.

     

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  • Peter Kushner (Boarhills, St Andrews) - a furniture maker who will purchase specialist equipment to assist in the making of custom furniture from local wood. Peter is very proud that his pieces are genuinely "Made in Fife".

     

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  • Sally Grant (Burntisland) - a jewellery maker who will attend the British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate to market her work to shops and galleries nationwide. Sally's work is already part of a touring exhibition of contemporary jewellery and in an exhibition of European contemporary enamel jewellery at the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh.

     

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  • Moyra Stewart (Cupar) - a ceramicist developing the specialist firing process in the highly unusual Raku form of pottery, which is fired in an outdoor kiln and then placed immediately in airtight containers to produce clay that has turned black and glazes of matt or shiny red copper and turquoise.

     

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  • Susan Hay (Dalgety Bay) - a jewellery maker who will have professional photography taken of her work to promote it on her new website

     

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  • Evie Milo (Aberdour) - a jewellery and craft maker with the environmental and ethical principle "reduce, reuse and recycle". Evie will market her pieces to new retailers and galleries.

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  • Camilla Garrett-Jones (Culross) - a ceramicist who can now upgrade her kiln which will allow her to teach more classes at her studio in Culross.

     

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  • Susan Basham (Newport on Tay) - a ceramicist who will now be able to photograph her work to promote it further.