Ranamok Glass Prize

Ranamok Glass Prize
Awarded forExcellence in contemporary glass
CountryAustralia and New Zealand
Presented byRanamok Glass Prize Ltd.
Formerly calledRFC Prize
First awarded1995
Last awarded2014

The Ranamok Glass Prize, formerly RFC Glass Prize (or Resource Finance Corporation Glass Prize), was an annual award given to glass artists who live in Australia or New Zealand. The award was established in 1994 by Andy Plummer and Maureen Cahill in order to promote glass art to the public. Plummer and Cahill announced that 2014 would be the final year of the prize.

History

Andy Plummer, a coal industry executive and glass artist, and Maureen Cahill, a gallerist and glass artist,[1] created the Resource Finance Corporation Glass Prize, aka RFC Glass Prize, in 1994[2][3] in order to recognise contemporary glass artists in Australia and New Zealand.[1] Plummer, a mining executive, had met Cahill in the early 1990s, when undertaking a glass-making short course at the Sydney College of the Arts. Cahill was an established artist, who had created Australia's first glass course in 1978. Plummer was looking for an arts focus to be the beneficiary of funding by corporations in his sector.[4]

Resource Finance Corporation went through various changes of names and mergers, through Whitehaven Coal, Eureka Corporation and Excel Corporation, and the prize became the Ranamok Prize.[2]

The first exhibition of finalists was held at the Earth Exchange Museum in Sydney in 1995.[2]

In 2014, Plummer and Cahill announced that they were ending the prize, in part to focus on their own work as glass artists.[5][1] The final exhibition was held at the Canberra Glassworks,[6] before touring to Sydney and Brisbane.[2]

By this time, Cahill was exhibiting her work regularly, and was running the Glass Artists' Gallery in Glebe, Sydney. One of her works was hung in Parliament House in Canberra. Plummer had retired, and was then aged 64, and was still working on his practice, planning his first exhibition in 2015.[4]

The winning pieces, collected each year by Ranamok Glass Prize Ltd, were donated to the National Gallery of Australia.[7][2][4]

After the demise of the Ranamok Prize, a new prize, the biennial FUSE Glass Prize, was established by Jim and Helen Carreker at JamFactory in Adelaide.[8]

Description

The prize was open to artists of any level, and was considered the most prestigious glass award in Australia and New Zealand.[5] An annual showcase of finalists was held, and the winner received a cash prize and the publicity resulting from a major multi-venue exhibition.[1]

The award, which was known for pushing boundaries,[4] attracted entries from glass artists of all levels, including established leading artists.[2] The winner was chosen by a board of directors which included Plummer and Cahill.[9]

It was an acquisitive award, with the winning piece going to the Ranamok (formerly RFC) Collection.[2] (later donated to National Gallery of Australia[7]).

Many of its winners and finalists went on to become well-known artists, with work exhibited around Australia.[4]

Award winners

Year Artist Title of winning piece Country
1995 Deb Cocks[10] Stream Australia
1996 Susan Hill[10] ripening ll Australia
1997 Jessica Loughlin[11] Horizon Lines Series #7 & #8 Australia
1998 Ben Edols and Kathy Elliott[12] Groove II Australia
1999 Emma Camden[13] The Tower of Secrets New Zealand
2000 Richard Whiteley[14] Blue - Grey Australia
2001 Mark Thiele[15] Time 1, 2 & 3 Australia
2002 Mel Douglas[16] Between the Lines Australia
2003 David Murray[17] Gatherer New Zealand
2004 Scott Chaseling[18] Censor Australia
2005 Joanna Bone[19] Ominous Fruit Australia
2006 Cobi Cockburn[20] Shifting Fields Australia
2007 Evelyn Dunstan[21] Ngahere Karauna (Forest Crown) New Zealand
2008 Matthew Ryan[22] A Net for Light #1 Australia
2009 Lisa Walsh[23] Across the Lines New Zealand
2010 Sue Hawker[24] Too Much Is Never Enough New Zealand
2011 Masahiro Asaka[25] Surge 1 Australia
2012 Denise Pepper[26] Punto in Aria (Stitches in Air) Australia
2013 Tom Moore[27] Massive Microscopic Bug Australia
2014 Kathryn Wightman[1][5] Carpet New Zealand

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Page, Andrew (12 August 2014). "After 20 years of existence, the final Ranamok Prize goes to Kathryn Wightman". Urban Glass. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "No More Running Amok". New Zealand Glass. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  3. ^ Ranamok Glass Prize 2014. Sydney, Australia: Ranamok. 2014. p. 3.
  4. ^ a b c d e Pryor, Sally (15 August 2014). "Ranamok Glass Prize 2014: End of an era". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "News: Kathryn Wightman wins the 2014 (and final) Ranamok Glass Prize". Bullseye Gallery. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  6. ^ Cousins, Kerry-Anne (22 August 2014). "Fragility and memory in Ranamok Glass Prize". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b Pryor, Sally (15 August 2014). "Ranamok Glass Prize 2014: End of an era". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  8. ^ "About". FUSE. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  9. ^ "About the Ranamok Glass Prize". Ranamok Glass Prize. Ranamok Glass Prize Limited. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  10. ^ a b Resource Finance Corporation Ltd. (2009). Ranamok Glass Prize Limited winners collection 1995-2009. Sydney: Ranamok.
  11. ^ "Jessica Loughlin". Ausglass Conference 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  12. ^ "Benjamin Edols and Kathy Elliott". Traver Gallery. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Emma Camden: Glass Artist" (PDF). Palette. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  14. ^ "Richard Whiteley". Australian National University: School of Art. The Australian National University, Canberra. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  15. ^ "Mark Thiele". Cape Glass Studio. Cape Glass Studio & Edge Glass Gallery. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  16. ^ "Mel Douglas". Bullseye Gallery. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  17. ^ "David Murray won 2003 Ranamok Glass Prize". Koru Contemporary Art. 25 August 2003. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  18. ^ "Scott Chaseling". ACT Museums + Galleries. ACT Museums and Galleries. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  19. ^ "Joanna Bone". Hotham Street Contemporary. Hotham Street Pty Ltd. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  20. ^ "Cobi Cockburn". Bullseye Gallery. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  21. ^ "Ranamok Prize Winner". Glass Quarterly. Winter2007/2008 (109): 12. December 2007.
  22. ^ "Ranamok prize for local artist Matthew Ryan". ACT Government: Archived Media Releases. ACT Government. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  23. ^ "Ranamok Glass Prize 2009". Wagga Wagga Art Gallery. Wagga Wagga City Council. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  24. ^ Brooks, Lee G. (12 August 2010). "2010 Ranamok Glass Prize awarded to New Zealand's Sue Hawker". Urban Glass. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  25. ^ "2011 Ranamok Glass Prize Awarded to Masahiro Asaka". Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass. AACG. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  26. ^ "Denise Pepper Awarded Ranamok Prize 2012". Glass Artists' Gallery. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  27. ^ Watson, Vaughn (15 August 2013). "2013 Ranamok Prize awarded to Australian Tom Moore". Urban Glass. Retrieved 22 October 2014.