Exhibition celebrates five years of the Josef Herman Foundation Art Award

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s Swansea College of Art is looking forward to opening a special exhibition to celebrate the 5^th anniversary of the Josef Herman Foundation Art Award

The ‘Where to now?’ exhibition will be opening on 8 February between 5 – 7 pm at Stiwdio Griffith in the Dynevor building of the university’s Swansea campus.

The annual award from the Josef Herman Foundation is given in memory of Carolyn Davies, who died in 2018. Carolyn was Chair and a Trustee of the Herman Foundation and promoted the arts in the Swansea area.

The arts were important to her, and she was always helpful in supporting graduates and ensuring creative opportunities for them. Carolyn was an inspirational person and promoted the arts whenever she had the opportunity to do so.

Her key focus was creativity and the journey through the artistic process.

The award

This award is open to Fine Art students graduating from Swansea College of Art, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and is funded by the Josef Herman Foundation, along with Carolyn’s family.

Each recipient have been awarded with a financial prize, and an opportunity to provide an artist talk along with an exhibition at the Welfare Hall in Ystradgynlais.

This special exhibition has been curated by Fine Art Lecturer Alex Duncan, and coordinated by Gwenllian Beynon both from UWTSD’s Swansea College of Art.

It will feature work from past winners of the Josef Herman Award: Alison Bater, Abigail Fraser, Owain Sparnon, Redhab Al-Saab and Hannah Henson.

Josef Herman works

The artists have mostly made new work for this exhibition and additionally, a selection of Josef Herman’s work will be shown alongside the exhibiting artists.

The first years after graduation are a crucial period in the life of a young artist, with the safety net of art studios disappearing.

The award has given them the opportunity to continue their practice, to experiment when things are raw and new, when they may ask the question, ‘Where to now?’

UWTSD’s Swansea College of Art Programme Director, Gwenllian Beynon said: “For me as a lecturer and a trustee of the Herman Foundation, this exhibition demonstrates the value of providing opportunities on graduating.

“It’s really exciting to note that the artists are producing new work. It’s also great to bring some of Herman’s work into Swansea College of Art.”