The Glasgow School of Art awards highest accolade to Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

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The Glasgow School of Art has awarded its highest accolade to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Newbery Medal, named after Francis (Fra) Newbery who commissioned Mackintosh to design the now world-famous art school building, is awarded each year to the highest performing student across the Schools of Architecture, Design and Fine Art. An honorary Newbery Medal was awarded for the first time today.

The honorary Newbery Medal was presented at the GSA Graduation ceremony in Bute Hall at the University of Glasgow which also saw 102 Fine Art students presented with their degrees. The medal was received on behalf of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service by Craig Rider, one of the attending firefighters whose valiant efforts saved the Mackintosh Building. The inscription on the medal reads Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, 23rd May 2014 – Guardians of The Mackintosh.

Professor Tom Inns, Director of The Glasgow School of Art, explained:

Every year at our graduation ceremony we award one Newbery Medal to the highest performing student at The Glasgow School of Art.This year for the very first time we will award an Honorary Newbery Medal.  This is to honour the bravest act for which The Glasgow School of Art will always be thankful.

Chief Officer Alasdair Hay said:

To be awarded the Newbery Medal is a great honour for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and I would like to thank Glasgow School of Art for their kind recognition of our crews.

Much has been said about the tremendous efforts, courage and professionalism of the firefighters who prevented the loss of the Mackintosh. On behalf of the service I would also like to pay tribute to GSA staff and students for the manner in which they have responded to what has clearly been a tremendously difficult time.  

When the fire started they safely evacuated the building and then worked with our crews to establish an effective salvage plan that saved everything that could possibly be saved. In the weeks since they have shown incredible warmth and support to our firefighters and it has been greatly appreciated.

The 2014 Newbery Medal was awarded to Alex Kuusik, a Fine Art graduate. Alex lost his entire installation, which included paintings based on Hans Holbein's Dance of Death woodcuts, in the fire. However, his ideas live on in his image currently being shown as part of the Fine Art School exhibition at McLellan Galleries: a photograph he took of his installation before disaster stuck. The image caught the attention of Guardian Art Critic, Jonathan Jones who wrote of it: ‘Holbein's deathly image mixes with Alex’s scribbles and clothes in an impressive conceptual entertainment.’

Two Honorary Doctorates were awarded at 2014 Graduation.

Architect, Andy Bow, a senior partner of Foster + Partners, was awarded an Honorary DUniv. A graduate of The Mackintosh School of Architecture and winner of the Newbery Medal, Bow has gone on to become one of the UK’s most respected architects. In 2001 was made a board director of Foster + Partners, with whom he has designed buildings across the world.

An honorary DLitt was awarded to Janice Kirkpatrick, one of the UK’s leading designers and founder and Creative Director of Glasgow-based Graven Images. Kirkpatrick studied Graphic Design at the GSA, graduating in 1984 and winning the Newbery Medal. In 1985 she co-founded Graven Images with Ross Hunter and together they have grown the studio into an internationally recognized design business. For six years a NESTA Trustee and an adviser to both the Scottish and Westminster Governments on the Creative Industries, Janice Kirkpatrick was awarded an OBE for services to Graphic Design in 2013.