Piece by Rebecca Wymark, Fine Art student.

Image: Rebecca Wymark, Fine Art

Arts Degree Show: award-winners announced!

The winners of Loughborough University’s 2018 Arts Degree Show have been announced – and there’s still time to check out their work and the wide range of art on display!

Piece by student Jodie Cowler, Fine Art.

Image: Jodie Cowler, Fine Art

The exhibition, hosted by the School of the Arts, English and Drama, is open to the public from 9-17 June every day from 10am-5pm at the Edward Barnsley Building, Loughborough University.

It features an eclectic range of paintings and illustrations, textile design, fashion garments, sculpture, photographs, installations, short films, animations, graphic design and video game demonstrations.

Art graduates from Loughborough have a strong reputation of building careers in a range of occupations, with many enterprising students going on to contribute to the UK’s outstanding role within the arts and creative industries.

The School awards were presented at a private viewing on Friday 8 June. They recognise student excellence and endeavour in their chosen fields, with rewards ranging from cash prizes to creative resource.

The winners are as follows:

  • Leicester Printmakers Award – Rebecca Wymark and Chlöe Webster
  • Printmakers Council Award – Emily Arnold
  • Potclays Ceramic Prize – Louisa Daniel
  • John Mack Foundation Award – George Robertshaw, Alice Broad, Hannah Sparkes and Luke Trower
  • Enterprise and Innovation awards -  Rebecca Wymant, Dante Attuoni and Imogen Lowe 

Rebecca Wymark and Jodie Cowler were also announced as the winners of the acclaimed Edward Sharp Fund. They were selected for the accolade by a panel led by Professor Alison Yarrington, Dean of the School of the Arts, English and Drama.

Their work will be purchased to become part of the University’s collection of art, to be displayed on campus.

Commenting on the winners, Professor Alison Yarrington said: “The two winners of the Edward Sharp Prize are outstanding young artists whose innovative creative skills engage distinctively with the contemporary environment, a hallmark of all Loughborough’s arts graduates. 

“Rebecca Wymark takes her inspiration from her immediate environment, utilising materials and casting spaces encountered in the home and the studio. She makes delicate prints from domestic fabrics and creates handmade paper sculptures by casting domestic furniture.

“An exceptionally dedicated student, Rebecca has applied herself to progressing conceptual and practical skills to develop her distinctive independent practice.”

She added: “Jodie Cowler deals with issues of religion, belief and mortality in contemporary society with her installation of seven brightly coloured paintings, which she refers to as ‘a deserted room of worship’.  

“The paintings feature two characters, a raptor and a skeleton, who encounter one another in a narrative that develops throughout the paintings. The paintings are designed to represent stained-glass windows and each painting represents a day, playing on the story of creation.”

Further information about the Arts Degree Show can be found on the website.

The Design Degree Show will also open to the public from 14-18 June – more on the exhibition can be found here.

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