I’m happy to announce that I have won the 2009 Hans Godo Fräbel Award!
Hans Godo Fräbel is an artist of international acclaim, and is recognized as a founding father of modern torch work. His art pieces can be found in public and private collections in over 80 countries worldwide. Some of the more illustrious collectors of Fräbel glass art are Queen Elizabeth II, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan, current and former heads of governments such as Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Anwar Sadat as well as museums in London, Paris, Tokyo, Dresden, Valencia, Corning, San Francisco, New York and Washington D. C.
Two of the most famous “trademarks” of the Fräbel name are the “Hammer and Nails” sculpture which is currently housed in Washington D. C.’s National Building Museum; and the playful, cavorting clowns which received worldwide recognition with the Absolut Vodka advertising campaign in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Hans Godo Fräbel was the first glass artist honored with the title of Absolut Artist. Other famous artists that were chosen as Absolut Artist are Andy Warhol and Keith Haring.
Fräbel established the Fräbel Art Foundation, Inc., with the mission to educate the world on glass art by cooperating with museums around the world to organize exhibitions and showcasing glass art. He also launched the internet site MyGlassArt.org, through which he offers the Hans Godo Fräbel Award competitions, the first independent awards for glass artists, where fellow glass artists vote who is the winner of this competition.
My piece Sun Pods is the 2009 winner. In June I will travel to Atlanta for the award ceremony. Graciously, as part of the award, Mr. Fräbel will welcome me into his studio to spend some time with him and his team of artists, talking about his art and techniques. I greatly look forward to that!!