President's Letter for April 2025

Hello sculptors!

We have now rolled from MIFGS wrap up to preparation for the 2025 Annual & Awards Exhibition. The program is a bit compressed this year - we'll use the panic to raise our creativity to urgent and firey. Is your sculpture entry sorted? Have you decided which section is appropriate for your work?The deciding factor is years of sculpting experience. Even after 20 years a person can feel uncertain about their work - but step up! Be bold (and fair) and place your work where it will be judged amongst equals.

The two sections are judged under different systems:

• The Andor Meszaros Sculpture Prize for less experienced sculptors, is judged by a panel of three - an external judge - this year Jason Waterhouse, Director of Sculpture Company, Jenny Rickards ASV president ex officio, and Heather Wilson as the ASV member.

• The Margaret Gunnersen William Hoggan Thomas Award is awarded on the vote of the exhibiting members (from both sections). That means you! Anyone winning this award knows that it is a valued accolade from their peers. The exhibition committee is making every effort to enable you to make your vote both timely and considered. We have the presentation event on the second Sunday of the exhibition so that there is plenty of time - particularly while you are sitting the exhibition - to move around the Gunnersen Thomas section and consider your choice.

This year there will be professional photography. This is an acknowledgement that we all benefit when we have good images of every work in an exhibition. And that some work is not ready for photography until the day it is installed. The new website may very well be in place for the 2025 Annual & Awards Exhibition - a triumph for the years of work the team has put in. Whatever system is in place, when the exhibition is open, please take the trouble to familiarize yourself with its online format so that you can assist our visitors (and not look as if they know more about the website than you do)..

A record of the 2024 Annual & Awards exhibition can be found on the newsletter website.

Please note that, on the entry form, we are asking if you are willing for vision impaired visitors to touch your work. Please consider this both as an artist showing work and as a guide facilitating appreciation of the work. Clearly fragile works, and those with sharp edges are not appropriate - you can help make this exhibition a joy for all.

And a joy it will be - l am looking forward to seeing you and your work at the exhibition.

Happy sculpting Jenny Rickards President

Since writing this letter the world has changed - Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, spiritual leader to many Christians and indeed other people of faith has died. In the turmoil of world affairs I mark his passing with respect for his life’s work.