Student Eleanor creates a window of great beauty

Jun 15 2009 By The Journal

A SUNDERLAND University student is celebrating a stain on her reputation at the threshold of her career.

MA Architectural Glass student Eleanor Bird has won national praise for a beautiful stained glass window.

She was awarded a commission to represent a global charity, the Pontifical Missionary Society, in The Stevens Competition which promotes the art and craft of glass making.

And her window shows a fishing net to represent the charity’s work across the world and a red cross for its logo.

The 29-year-old said: "The brief was to create a transition window for the Pontifical Missionary, a charity in London.

"I took my inspiration for my piece after a meeting with Monsignor Dale, the director of the charity.

"The window represents the first disciples of Jesus, fishermen who were called to spread the word of God and help others."

It’s the second award Eleanor has won in under a year after landing a Queen Elizabeth Scholarship, presented by Princess Anne.

The £7,840 scholarship enabled her MA studies at Sunderland where she created her stained glass window, which will now be installed at the Pontifical Missionary Societies base in London.

The Stevens Competition is backed by the Worshipful Company of Glaziers which supports historic and contemporary stained and decorative glass in the UK.

The award ceremonies took place at Glaziers Hall in London.

Eleanor said: "I went down to the ceremonies in London with Cate Watkinson, my lecturer.

"It was a very exciting moment as nobody knew who was going to get the commission, and having seen some of the other very strong designs, I was really delighted that I was chosen."

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust is designed to advance education in modern and traditional crafts and trades in the UK.