The Executive Board of the International Polymer Clay Association is very proud to announce the winners of Progress and Possibilities 2010. We invite you to view the inspiring gallery of winning entries on our website.

The quality of the work selected both by the judges and by our members represents the very finest in polymer clay art and raises the standard for all of us. Each year the winners of our juried competition reflect greater sophistication and a higher level of accomplishment, truly embodying the meaning of "progress and possibilities."

Our heartiest congratulations go to Laura Tabakman of Pittsburgh, PA, for her groundbreaking entry, Three Vessels, which earned the coveted Best in Show Award. Three Vessels is a sculptural installation including polymer clay, steel wire, gut, and silk. Laura explains, "With these installations I intend to evoke a natural environment. In the Three Vessels installation just a little air current moves the elements slightly like on a breeze. I use basic forms evocative of nature and primitive cultures. There is also repetition and rhythm in the work; one element or movement at a time, repeated over."

Julie Sweeney of Waxhaw, NC, won the Members' Favorite Award for Scandal in the Henhouse, receiving both the largest raw number and highest percentage of member votes in the entire competition. Julie describes her piece and reveals her inspiration: "This piece is a 3-d wall hanging of polymer clay, with acrylic paint accents and patina on a wood base. I was inspired to create this piece after seeing the classic film Madame Bovary. One of her dying lines was that she just wanted to make things beautiful, so sad because that didn't work out so great for her. I decided to take a more humorous approach to this theme with my piece. This hen struts her stuff to mixed reviews in the henhouse."

We received a total of 119 entries this year, nearly identical to the number submitted in 2008. Entries came from eleven countries of the world, and the winners include artists from North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

By dividing each subject category into Beginner, Intermediate, and Professional levels, we hoped to provide more points of comparison for our jurors and voting members. It's interesting to note how similar the selections of the invited judges are to the Members' Choice winners. This may indicate a general consciousness-raising among our membership related to design and craftsmanship issues--another goal of Progress and Possibilities as well as of educational programs like Synergy.

Once again we'd like to thank our wonderful judges, Sue Heaser, Dayle Doroshow, Mary Sullivan Holdgrafer, and David Willard. Thanks also to all the talented and imaginative artists who contributed to Progress and Possibilities 2010 and to everyone who voted in the Members' Choice Competition.