The Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators (SGCD) sponsors the annual Discovery Awards competition to recognize outstanding decorated ceramic and glassware design and technical achievements. Winners are honored during the awards banquet at the annual DECO trade show and seminar. The 2004 competition featured entries from 20 companies in 15 design and four technical categories. In categories where both glass and ceramic items were submitted, two awards were presented to allow the glass and ceramic entries to be judged separately.

All entries were displayed in SGCD's Discovery Room during DECO 2004 in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 28-30, and winners were selected by a panel of judges who reviewed each category and selected winners by consensus. This year's judging panel included Sue Love, publisher of Ceramic Industry; Mike Foley, commercial manager, Decals, for Johnson Matthey; and Sandra Nelson, vice president of Decoritalia. In addition to the design and technical awards, SGCD also honored two Discovery entries with the Vandenoever Award and Judges' Award for overall merit.

Photos and brief descriptions of each of the 2004 Discovery Award winners follow.

Vandenoever Award: Reusche & Co.

Every year, SGCD members and DECO attendees who visit the Discovery Room vote to select a "Best of Show" entry to receive the annual Vandenoever Award. The 2004 recipient is Reusche & Co. for this fused slumped glass tile, part of a three-piece set hand painted by Virginia Gabaldo.

Judges Award: Lenox, Inc.

SGCD's three-judge panel selected its own "Best of Show" recipient after reviewing every entry in the Discovery Room. The 2004 Judges Award winner is Lenox Inc. for this "June Lane" pattern, one of a series of patterns designed by Kate Spade for Lenox China. Made of bone china, the ware features an on-glaze waterslide transfer containing micaceous colors and platinum. After the colors are fired, the ware is hand-lined with platinum and fired again to achieve the final look. This entry also won the Excellence in Design Award in the Formal Tableware, Ceramic entry.

EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN

Containers, Food: The Allen Co.

Clear apothecary jar with "Color Advantage" screened in an innovative ceramic blend.

Containers, Beverage: Johnson Matthey

Vodka bottle with a large-area precious metal waterslide decal fired onto the glass.

Specialty Containers (Votive): Libbey, Inc.

Silk screen printed "Pumpkin Face" votive.

Vases: Engelhard Corp.

Vase decorated with Engelhard Halo Gold applied through a proprietary method over a chocolate brown pigmented glaze.

Ad Specialty, Glass: Deco West

Aluminum-plated beer glass (manufactured by Libbey, Inc.) with an organic cobalt-blue spray and organic one-color logo.

Ad Specialty, Ceramic: The Allen Co.

Black "El Grande" coffee mug imprinted with 22k gold over a light satin etch to give the penny design a burnished and Florentine look.

Novelties, Glass: Deco West

Four-color direct screen-printed glasses (manufactured by Libbey, Inc.) with an organic neon green bottom spray, plus shooter (background) with a one-color organic neon green spray and one-color organic decoration.

Novelties, Ceramic: The Allen Co.

Black anchor mug screened with an exclusive iridescent/simulated color blending process to give "Horse Ranch" a distinctive look.

Collectibles, Glass: Libbey, Inc.

Silk screen printed "Coke" tumbler.

Collectibles, Ceramic: Décor America

Lenox collector plate by Catherine McClung, decorated with a waterslide decal.

Artware: Reusche & Co.

Fused slumped glass bowl, hand painted by L'Oiseau De Bois.

Lighting: Commercial Decal

Lithophane lamp with seven-color silkscreen (plus a lacquer). Colors were printed in reverse, applied to the inside of the lithophane and fired. The lamp also features waterslide decals and hand decoration.

Design Innovation, Glass: Custom Deco

Martini glass and tumbler decorated with a creative masking technique and an organic spray.

Design Innovation, Ceramic: The Allen Co.

Black pearlized mug screened with simulated pewter together with a subtle dot pattern to create the globe and Pegasus image for Schenck Pegasus Corp.

Casual Tableware, Ceramic: Libbey, Inc.

Hand-painted "Tropical Island" dinnerware.

Casual Tableware, Glass: Libbey, Inc.

Silk screen printed "Paper Dolls" glassware.

Semi-Formal Tableware: Décoritalia

"Delhi" pattern with in-glaze firing, relief white and special effects under and above the green, which gives it a three-dimensional effect of shadow and relief.

Formal Tableware, Ceramic: Lenox, Inc.

"June Lane," one of a series of patterns designed by Kate Spade for Lenox China. Made of bone china, the ware features an on-glaze waterslide transfer containing micaceous colors and platinum. After the colors are fired, the ware is hand-lined with platinum and fired again to achieve the final look. This entry also won the Judges' Award for "Best of Show."

Formal Tableware, Glass: Libbey, Inc.

Silk screen printed "Majestic" tableware.

Casual Foodservice, Glass: Moderne Glass

Direct screen printed glass using a flux coat to adhere icing for texture. Part of Homer Laughlin's Fiesta(r) ware collection.

Casual Foodservice, Ceramic: Syracuse China Co.

"Horizon Light," designed by Hillary Warner for the Genesee Inn in Syracuse, N.Y. The pattern features a four-color underglaze decoration based on textural elements painted in watercolor.

Formal Foodservice, Glass: Libbey, Inc.

Silk screen printed "Jane Seymour" glassware.

Formal Foodservice, Ceramic: Décoritalia

"Toledo" pattern produced for the hotel and restaurant industry, featuring multicolor heat-release decals with reactive colors.

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE

Hand Decorated: H.F. Coors/Catalina China

Four-color, hand-painted plate-part of a set inspired by the indigenous people of Australia and their culture. The design reflects the persistence of an art form unaffected by technology and the passage of time.

Direct Printed, Glass: Deco West

Four-color direct printed "March Madness" glasses (manufactured by Libbey, Inc.) with an organic neon orange bottom spray, designed for the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.

Direct Printed, Glass: Libbey, Inc.

Silk screen printed "Draught Excellence" tumbler.

Direct Printed, Ceramic: Moderne Glass

Direct-printed mug decorated with a high-definition gold and a proprietary multi-fire process.

Indirect Transfer, Ceramic: Décoritalia

"Polvo De Estrellas," which was in-glaze fired with special and resist colors that produce a glitter effect. The design was produced for the hotel and restaurant industry.

Grit, Sandblasted or Etched: Décoritalia

Sandblasted "Dior" glass.

About SGCD: SGCD was founded in 1963 and serves decorators and vendors to the decorating industry. More than 400 members and their associates attended the annual show and technical seminar in Cincinnati, Ohio, which included the Discovery Awards program. The 2005 program will take place April 2-5, 2005, at the new Omni Championsgate Resort in Orlando, Fla. For membership and entry details, call SGCD at (740) 588-9882 or visit http://www.sgcd.org .

Editor's note: All photos in this article are by Andrew Wagner, Andrew Wagner Photography, Sewickley, Pa.