2012 Andy Prize Awarded to Shirly Bar-Amotz

[Patti Bleicher]

Gallery Loupe happily announces that Shirly Bar-Amotz, an Israeli artist whose work we exhibited as part of “No-Problem (?): Nine Israeli Jewelers” in February 2010 has been awarded the Andrea M. Bronfman Prize for the Arts or “The Andy.”  Bar- Amotz, 38, found out a year ago that she was the recipient of this year’s award and has since then been creating new work for an exhibition which opened at the Tel Aviv Museum of Fine Arts on May 31st.

Bar-Amotz is the head of the Jewelry and Fashion Department at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, where she also received her B.F.A. She has a studio at the Kibbutz Ma’abarot, where she also lives. The artist’s influences are as diverse as the materials that she uses. Without a doubt Bar-Amotz’s native country plays a large role in her work; not only metaphorically in her jewelry and sculptural work but also because she works tirelessly to promote Israeli contemporary jewelry.

The Andy Prize, founded in 2003, is considered to be the most important award given in the decorative arts field. In addition to the exhibition and the publication of a catalogue, the recipient is awarded $50,000 NIS and their work is gifted to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

CultureBuzz recently sat down with Charles Bronfman, who awarded Bar-Amotz the prize, to speak about her work. Follow this link to view the video.