Pauline Mercier Award 2023
The assessor for the Pauline Mercier Award for 2023 was Dr. Hannah Lyons, Curator of University Art Collections, University of Reading. Hannah, who has recently moved to Reading to take on her post at the University, thoroughly enjoyed spending the afternoon in the gallery looking at over 140 artworks in a huge variety of styles and subjects.
Winner
2023
Scoria Oranje and Scoria Turkoois
Ceramic
Shirley Smith
Assessor: Dr Hannah Lyons
Congratulations to Shirley Smith winner of the 2023 Pauline Mercier Award for her two vases Scoria Orange & Scoria Turkoois.
Hannah said about the winning 3D artworks “Though I love the line-up of Pecking Order it was Smith’s almost volcanic, ceramic vases that really did it for me. Despite their fragility, I felt these ceramics had a strong presence in the exhibition space, and I was immediately drawn towards them. All of Smith’s work is original and exciting – as evidenced by the three pieces in the exhibition – but I wanted to touch these vases, feel the clay beneath my fingers and pop them in my bag and walk out of the door!”
Highly Commended
Hannah also gave a special mention to Roger Smalley, Carole Stephens, and Paul Whitehouse, whose works were highly commended saying “I felt it was an exceptionally strong category and it was really difficult to choose!”
