The Royal Scottish Academy has administered four awards totaling £21,000 to artists in Scotland. These awards are given by the RSA on behalf of the individual benefactors and trusts in keeping with the primary aim of the RSA: to encourage and support artists. The awards form part of the RSA’s annual awards programme and each award is presented annually.
The RSA is delighted to announce the winners of the following four awards:
• The Alastair Salvesen Art Scholarship (£12,000) awarded to Heather Ross.
• The Morton Award for lens based media (£5000) awarded to Christine Borland.
• The Barns-Graham Travel Award (£2000) awarded to Geri Loup Nolan.
• The William Littlejohn Watercolour Award (£2000) awarded to Jean Duncan.
Information on individual award winners:
The Alastair Salvesen Art Scholarship (£12,000) awarded to Heather Ross.
Heather Ross (b. Glasgow 1983) studied at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen before becoming artist in residence at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen. Her award-winning proposal presented to the Salvesen committee dealt with Japanese-based themes: ‘old and new’, femininity and technology. Heather currently lives and works in Edinburgh and teaches part-time at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen.
The Morton Award for lens based media (£5000) awarded to Christine Borland.
Christine Borland (b. Darvel 1965) studied at Glasgow School of Art before going on to further study in Northern Ireland and Germany. Her award-winning proposal to the Morton committee was to develop themes dealt with in her previous film series “SimMan/Baby/Woman” (2007-2010) and “NoBodies” (2010). The themes arising from these films tie into the larger theme of understanding the individual’s relationship with the often inaccessible systems that underpin our society. Christine currently lives and works in Kilcreggan, near Helensburgh.
The Barns-Graham Travel Award (£2000) awarded to Geri Loup Nolan
Geri Loup Nolan (b. Manchester 1961) graduated from Edinburgh College of Art this year. Her award-winning proposal to the Barns-Graham committee is to travel to Japan to explore connections between the east and west in philosophical thinking and artistic/architectural approaches. Geri currently lives and works in
Portobello, Edinburgh.
The William Littlejohn Watercolour Award (£2000) awarded to Jean Duncan.
Jean Duncan (b. Lochgilphead 1957) graduated from Glasgow School of Art and was the 2007 winner of the prestigious J D Fergusson Arts Award. Jean also won the Fife Council Visual Arts Award in both 2009 and 2010 and has held solo exhibitions at the University of Dundee and the Fergusson Gallery, Perth. Currently living and working in Wormit, Fife, Jean’s award-winning proposal to the William Littlejohn committee focused on the sea, patterns and movements in the sand and sandbanks and, in particular, microscopic diatoms, or plankton. She intends to use the award to travel to Orkney to further develop these themes.
The work from these award winners will be exhibited during the 2011 RSA Exhibition Programme.
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Notes to editors
RSA ALASTAIR SALVESEN SCHOLARSHIP
Funded by the Alastair Salvesen HRSA and administered by the RSA, this prestigious six month travelling scholarship of up to £12,000 is complimented by a solo exhibition at the RSA the following year. This once in a lifetime opportunity is intended to provide an invaluable period of research and is open to artists currently living and working in Scotland, and who have graduated from one of the main colleges of art in Scotland by at least three years.
RSA MORTON AWARD (for Lens based work)
The Morton Award (£5,000) is for artists working in a lens-based media to research and develop a new body of work. The award culminates in an exhibition of the resulting works at the RSA Annual Exhibition the following year. The award is open to artists who were born in Scotland or have studied at a Scottish art school or are working / permanently based in Scotland. The award is not open to students who are currently studying at either undergraduate or postgraduate level. Established in 2006, the award is funded by The Morton Charitable Trust and administered by the Royal Scottish Academy
RSA BARNS-GRAHAM TRAVEL AWARD
The Barns-Graham Travel Award (£2,000) provides a wonderful travel and research opportunity for emerging artists. The award culminates in an exhibition of the resulting works at the RSA Annual Exhibition the following year. The award is open to painters, printmakers and sculptors who are recent graduates or current postgraduates at one of the main art schools in Scotland. Established in 2006 the award is funded by the Barns-Graham Trust and administered by the Royal Scottish Academy.
RSA WILLIAM LITTLEJOHN AWARD
The RSA William Littlejohn Watercolour Award (£2,000) funds a period of residential research for a new body of work with a residency centre in Scotland. The award culminates in an exhibition of the resulting works at the RSA Annual Exhibition the following year. The award is open to painters in watercolour born or now living in Scotland. Established in 2008 the award is funded by The William Littlejohn Bequest and administered by the Royal Scottish Academy.
For further information or images please contact:
Andrew Goring, Sales and Communications Assistant, The Royal Scottish Academy on 0131 624 6556 or press@royalscottishacademy.org
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The Royal Scottish Academy is a charity registered in Scotland (No. SC004198)
Registered address: The RSA, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL
