The third year of this program saw yet another increase in applicants with Ms. Hawkins emerging as the winner. The announcement was made at the Society of North American Goldsmiths’ conference in Denver, CO.”Our goal was to acknowledge promise, innovation and individuality,” according to Suzanne Baizerman, the Imogene Gieling Curator of Crafts and Decorative Art at the Oakland Museum of California. “In the course of jurying slides for this award, I was immediately struck by Ms. Hawkin’s work. it had a presence. The subjects drew me in, arousing my curiousity. Were there stories imbedded within the pieces? The various materials that were combined intrigued me. Not inconsequentially, the works were well photographed.”

Ms. Baizerman was joined in this year’s juding by Mia McEldowney, independent curator, CERF trustee, and AJF board member, along with Sandy Grotta, an interior designer and trustee of the American Crafts Museum, AJF member and craft collector. This year’s award was increased by $500 to $1,500.