Jack Dawson Dip DES, BA, MLitt, FSA Scot

Jack Dawson studies Ceramics at Newcastle College of Art and subsequently ran his own studio in the Scottish Borders. He was an active craftsman member of the Scottish Crafts Centre and has exhibited extensively both in Britain and abroad - including Osaka, Japan. Jack was also involved in restoring Roman and Medieval pottery for various museums, and was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (Scot) in 1977.  In 1981, he was awarded a degree in the History of Modern Art and Design by the University of Northumbria, and followed this with a period of post-graduate study at the University of Glasgow. He then curated a number of exhibitions including 'The Art and Craft of the Etcher 1870-1930' in 1991.

Jack's primary research interest in in 20th century Scandinavian Glass, critical and theoretical approaches to the Decorative and Contemporary Applied Arts, and the role of the artist 'in' industry. For the 'Year of the Visual Arts' in 1996, Jack curated the most comprehensive exhibition of 'Finnish Post-War Glass 1945-96'. In addition he organized a symposium on Finnish Glass that included lectures and a series of master classes.

In 2000, he curated a major exhibition of Swedish glass 'Innovations and Diversity:75 Years of Swedish Glass' which toured venues in Britain and Germany, and wrote the accompanying book of the same name. Jack went on to curate the 'Sunderland Glass Connection' exhibition in 2001, followed by 'Art in Industry: 20th C Swedish Glass'. For the Gateway to Glass online Journal in 2004.

Recently Jack has written a major monograph on the Finnish glass artist and designer Oiva Toikka, 'Oiva Toikka Glass and Design', 2007, published in English and Finnish. He has lectured widely both at home and abroad, and is a contributor to the IIRG research website.