A cube of multi-coloured glass balls has scored a prestigious art award for Wanganui Glass School Resident Artist Jo Conroy.

Jo was named the winner of the NZSAG Award for the best work from an emerging artist, at the annual RE:FRACTION exhibition the Sculpture Park @ Waitakaruru Arboretum near Hamilton on the weekend.

Her winning entry, Colour My World is a large scale work of a wire cube filled with 500 tennis ball sized hand blown glass globes.
Jo worked closely with a Whanganui engineer who firstly constructed the wire cube and then built the mount.
The cube is mounted to look precariously balanced on one corner. “The cube almost looks like a puzzle so I wanted to engage the viewer further, by giving it a tilt,” says Jo.

Jo entered work in RE:FRACTION as a second year Glass School student in 2009, so she was familiar with the Sculpture Park and its environs. “I designed Colour My World to be site specific; it was inspired by the Park’s previous history as a stone quarry, rocks and retaining walls.”

Jo was one of five emerging glass artists from the Wanganui Glass School to enter their work in New Zealand’s only outdoor glass sculpture exhibition and competition. Linda Satchwell, Matty Green, Sam Jones and Toni Tittleton also took part.

In its seventh year, the exhibition showcases 33 sculptures by 20 pre-eminent New Zealand glass artists, many of whom are highly acclaimed professionals from around New Zealand.

As Artist in Residence at Whanganui UCOL, Quay School of Arts, Jo will hold an exhibition during the Wanganui Festival of Glass from Saturday 13 October at Emerge @ The Hub, 45-47 Taupo Quay.

Photo: Jo’s winning entry, Colour My World.