Craftex 2011

Two City of Glasgow College students have taken the top awards at Craftex 2011, the Trades House of Glasgow’s annual craft awards and exhibition, which showcases the very best traditional and modern crafts, design and technology skills taught at Glasgow’s colleges.

Murdo Macleod (30), an NQ student in furniture design at the City of Glasgow College, was selected by this year’s judge, Mark Batho, Chief Executive of the Scottish Education Funding Council, as the overall best in show gold medal winner for his hand crafted all-wood box.  Murdo who is from Thornliebank, Glasgow, worked with locally sourced poplar and brown oak for his piece, which used the natural features of the wood and included handmade hinges and a pin lock.  As well as winning the gold medal, sponsored by Melville Exhibitions, he was also winner of the Furniture Non Advanced category sponsored by the Incorporation of Wrights.

Deacon Convener of the Trades of Glasgow, Jimmy Miller, selected the best design award sponsored by the Trades House, which went for the second year running to HND student of Furniture Craftsmanship and Design, Bill Andrews (60) of Kilmarnock, for his oriental-style window stool. Bill, a former business advisor, used ebonised beech, padauk, pau amarelo and ebony woods.  The seat cover, featuring an oriental motif, was embroidered by his College colleague, Aileen Anderson.  Bill was also winner of the Furniture Advanced category sponsored by the Incorporation of Wrights.

“Through Craftex, we recognise and reward the crucial skills that are being honed by our colleges across the city,” said Jimmy Miller.  “Not only does the event continue to go from strength to strength each year, the standard of entries also keeps getting better, demonstrating that many of our traditional crafts are continuing to flourish alongside new technology.

“With business and careers representatives amongst the many attracted to the exhibition each year, Craftex has proved to be a unique and valuable platform for students seeking employment or launching their own business.  Our congratulations go to Murdo, Bill and all of this year’s winners.”

Craftex was established in 1995 by the Trades House, the federation of the city’s ancient crafts that originated in 1605. Crafts and skills represented this year were art, bookbinding, bread making, cake decoration, ceramics, craft engineering, creative writing, embroidery, fashion, furniture making, gardening, graphic art, industrial design, jewellery, millinery, musical instruments, new media, painting, photography, pottery, sculpture, stained glass, stonemasonry, textile design and video. Added for the first time this year is hair and beauty.  Monetary prizes were presented to all category winners.

Along with the City of Glasgow College, contributing to Craftex 2011 were Anniesland College, Cardonald, John Wheatley, Langside, North Glasgow and Stow College.

The event was sponsored by the Deutsche Bank, Melville Exhibitions, Glasgow City Council, Thomas Tunnock Ltd, J Chandler & Co, the Merchants House of Glasgow, the Weavers Society of Anderston, Scottish Engineering and the 14 Incorporated Trades of Glasgow that form the Trades House.

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Murdo Macleod – Gold Medal Winner: According to his lecturer Paul Southworth, Murdo has a real passion for furniture design and has been the most productive student this year.  Murdo produced dovetails and created wooden hinges utilising the natural features of the wood such as oysters, created by branches growing from the tree trunk.  Paul, an antique furniture restorer to trade, lent Murdo his carving tools to craft the box, which the City of Glasgow College is hoping to buy for its art collection.  Murdo who lives in Thornliebank, Glasgow, has a background in the construction industry.

Bill Andrews – Deacon Convener’s Design Prize Winner: A first year HND student in Furniture Craftsmanship with Design at the City of Glasgow College takes the award for the second year in a row, having won it in 2010 as an NQ student.  Bill, who lives in Kilmarnock, has a background in engineering and training and worked with Scottish Enterprise for more than 17 years.  He has always had a goal of retiring and working with wood.  He is one of the crafters working with the West Kilbride Community Initiative, better known as Craft Town Scotland.