The Gloria Gordon Award for Young Artists’ Sketchbooks is sponsored by Graham Gordon in memory of his wife Gloria. Artists’ sketchbooks are often not seen, yet contain some of their most creative personal work. For young artists the use of a sketchbook is crucial in developing their skills, but can also present a fascinating insight and perspective on life.
The Gloria Gordon Awards
The competition? The award is intended to find and celebrate excellence in the creation of an art and design student’s sketchbook. These sketchbooks will already be created within the art or design course being studied at school or college, so the competition requires no further creative work by the student. Students will have completed their GCSE or ‘A’ Level the summer before the awards ceremony so sketchbooks will already be complete.
Who can enter? If you live in Folkestone & Hythe, are 18 or under, studying for GCSE or ‘A’ Level in Art or Design (or equivalent) you can enter.
Categories: There are two categories:
- Category 1: Art and/or design GCSE (or Level 2 equivalent) for those studying in years 10 and 11.
- Category 2: Art and/or design ‘A’ Level (or Level 3 equivalent) for those currently studying in years 12 and 13.
Awards: Awards are decided by an independent panel, with decisions made as final. There are six awards in total, three in each category.
- Winner – an award for £100 for the winner in each category.
- Highly Commended – an award for £70 for one highly commended entry in each category.
- Commended – an award of £40 for one commended entry in each category.
The school or college of the winner in each category is presented with a trophy, in the form of an art deco dancer, which can be placed on display for one year. There is an award ceremony, which takes place in the autumn each year alongside Folkestone Art Society’s main exhibition. Everyone involved is invited, teachers students and parents can come along to the award ceremony on the opening night of the exhibition. How to enter? The competition is run in the autumn each year and entry forms are available in schools and colleges from the head of art, or directly from the Folkestone Art Society. Students’ are entered to the competition by their art teacher or head of department.
Practicalities: The sketchbook can be A2 or A3. All original artwork will be returned. Winning entries will be placed on display at the award ceremony, which will take place at the Autumn Exhibition each year.
The 2022 Awards
Huge congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Gloria Gordon Awards for Young Artists’ Sketchbooks
A-Level
• Winner: Summer Pilkington, The Marsh Academy
• Highly Commended: Bethany Whyte, Brockhill
• Commended: Jack Mahoney, Harvey Grammar
GCSE
• Winner: Shenglun Hutton, The Folkestone School for Girls
• Highly Commended: Elliot Van Del Wal, Harvey Grammar
• Commended: Neve West, Folkestone Academy
Many thanks to our judges @laura.froude, @froudedavid and @stephen.thompson_artist, and to @artwork.by.linda for organising the awards this year.
Gloria Gordon (4 June 1938 to 24 September 2006)
Gloria loved the arts in all its forms – whether theatre, painting, music or dance. Her favourite period was Art Deco with its structural simplicity and beautiful lines. This is why the award trophies are in the form of Art Deco dancers which epitomise the era. Gloria had an incredible joie de vivre and spent many hours listening to and encouraging young people in their aspirations and endeavours in the arts.