Kristiina Uslar has been nominated for the seventh annual Irvin Borowsky International Prize in Glass Arts at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA, USA. The Borowsky Prize was established in 2012 and honors the late Irvin Borowsky, a glass arts patron and humanitarian. The Borowsky Prize recognizes an artist whose work is conceptually daring, exemplifies technical skill and innovation, and advances the field of contemporary glass art.
Last year, over 30 artists applied for this opportunity. The 2018 Prize was awarded to artist and educator Sarah Briland, who received her BFA in Sculpture from Washington University and her MFA in Glass from Virginia Commonwealth University. Sarah’s bold use of glass with other materials serves to tell her personal story of interaction with the environment along with her observations of humans’ environmental impact on planet Earth. Sarah’s new work is currently featured in the important museum survey NEW GLASS NOW at the Corning Museum of Glass.
The 2019 Prize will be awarded to a glass artist for whom this recognition will be professionally meaningful—moving their career forward significantly. Candidates will be active professionals who have shown a serious commitment to the material, can provide evidence of a robust exhibition history, and sustain a dedicated studio practice. Nominees should be at least five years beyond graduation from their undergraduate degree and should not be currently enrolled in a university degree program —though a degree is not required.
The 2019 Irvin Borowsky International Prize in Glass Arts Committee consists of:
Æsa Björk, Artist, Bergen, Norway
Sarah Briland, 2018 Borowsky Prize Winner
Daniel Clayman, Head of Glass, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Brian Effron, UArts trustee and glass collector, Philadelphia, PA
Tom Moran, Chief Curator, Ground for Sculpture, Hamilton Township, NJ
Sharyn O’Mara, Head of the Glass,Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Judith Schaechter, Professor in Glass, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Laurie Wagman, UArts trustee and widow of Irvin Borowsky, for whom the Prize is named, Philadelphia, PA
Nate Watson, Executive Director, Public Glass, San Francisco, CA
Richard Whiteley, Head of the Glass Workshop, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Diane Wright, Curator of Glass, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH
Mark Zirpel, Associate Professor & Dale Chihuly Endowed Chair in Glass, University of Washington, Seattle, WA