International Recognition for Local Artist

Jackie Andrews, of Centerville, OH, recently earned first place in an international competition, "Celebrating Beads, the journey of...." in Washington, DC for her beadwork titled, "The Company Man," a marionette constructed of 17 handmade, lampwork (a technique which uses superheated gas to melt glass along a wand) beads.

The competition, sponsored by the Bead Museum of Washington, DC (BMW) and the Los Angeles Bead Society, received entries from artists in 14 countries and 33 states. Andrews' work will be displayed in an exhibit at the BMW until December 31, 2008.

Andrews received her award during the Passion for Beads Gala event, a black tie affair held at the Naval Heritage Museum in downtown DC. During the event, the documentary film "The World on a String Part V: A Passion for Beads" was shown.

Andrews received a degree in Education, Art, and Geography from the University of Nebraska, at Kearney. While at the university, she took a class in glass blowing and fell in love with the medium.

"Working with glass felt like magic," she said, "it allowed me complete artistic expression."  However, after graduation her career as an Army Officer took her away from Nebraska and a glass furnace–leaving her unable to pursue her passion.

In 2003, she discovered the art of lampworking and quickly converted a portion of her home to a glass studio and has been creating a handmade lampwork beads ever since.  She is a member of the International Glass Bead Artists and the Miami Valley Lampwork Bead Artists. For more information on the art of lampwork visit www.beadmuseumdc.org.

Congratulations, Jackie!