Rachel Furbert has been named by the Bermuda Society of Arts as the 2009 Art Bursary Award winner.

The members of the BSoA Selection Committee said they "very impressed" with the very high standard of work of the award applicants this year, however: " Ms. Furbert stood out with her enthusiasm and commitment to the arts, and the committee made special mention of the fact that she had taken advantage of every opportunity available on the Island to study and involve herself in the arts in Bermuda.," said the BSoA.

She was chosen from a group of talented young artists, and will attend Penland School of Crafts to study pottery this fall.

Penland is a world renowned centre for craft education located in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. Students live at Penland and take only one class at a time allowing them to learn by total immersion. Ms. Furbert will be studying wheel thrown, hand built and altered pots with Tara Wilson at Penland, and is applying to overseas schools for her further art education in 2010. She plans to return to Bermuda to teach and continue with her passion for the visual arts, with a special emphasis on pottery.

Ms. Furbert's artwork was recently on display at the Bermuda Society of Arts in their 'Emerging Artists' Show, highlighting work by young artists studying at home and overseas.

l For more information on the BSoA Art Bursary Award please contact the gallery at 292-3824 or email bsoa@ibl.bm. Located on the Top Floor of City Hall in Hamilton, Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday 10 am - 4 pm, and Saturday - 10 am - 2 pm