Since 1992, the Saint-Paul festivities of Sarreguemines have revived the town's traditional arts of the fire and the table. This festival, dedicated to the directors of the faience works, Paul Utzschneider and Paul de Geiger, from the end of the 19th century to around the fifties, has brought back to life the ceramic production so dear to the town. The aim of the Grand Prix for Ceramics is to encourage artists from all over the world to display their skills and creativity on a given theme. It is the only event organized in the eastern region of France which puts the spotlight on a functional object in ceramic.

This year (1999), the theme of the third Grand Prix for Ceramics awarded by the Town of Sarreguemines was "the soup tureen", a typical object of tableware, traditional yet lending itself to an unexpected reinterpretation and a new look. In 1993, the theme was "the bowl" while in 1996, it was "the box".

Requests to participate in this competition were received from all over Europe, and even Japan, Korea and the United States. The techniques used are specific to each artist and cover every aspect of ceramics : faience, porcelain, stoneware, terracotta ...

The jury for the Sarreguemines Grand Prix has drawn up a short-list of 23 artists who have been invited to exhibit their creations at the Casino des Faïenceries. This year, the Grand Prix (with a grant of 25,000 francs) has been awarded to Mr. Thomas N. Skeffington of Bridgetown in the United States.

The Town of Sarreguemines, in collaboration with the Committee of the Grand Prix for Ceramics, organizes an international competition of artistic ceramics dedicated to functional objects. The purpose of this initiative is to revive the town's tradition of producing utilitarian ceramic objects and to encourage visitors to discover the rich faience heritage of Sarreguemines.

The Grand Prix takes place every three years and highlights utilitarian or practical objects by adding an imaginative, warm and festive touch to them. These objects should also increase the pleasure of sitting at table for a meal with friends and family. The Committee sets a different theme for each competition. In 1993, the theme was "the bowl", in 1996 it was "the box", and in 1999 it was "the soup tureen". The next Grand Prix should take place in 2002.

How is it organized?
The competition is organized in two phases :

* selection of candidates on the basis of their qualifications by an international jury,
* presentation to the public of all the works chosen by the international jury for the award of the Grand Prix.
The selected candidates may also present five other pieces typical of their usual style at this exhibition. A catalogue is published containing the photos of the exhibited works, together with the names, addresses and brief presentations of the artists.

The Grand Prix
The international jury is formed of experts in different fields relating to ceramics. At the first meeting, it selects the artists who will be invited to exhibit. Then, on the first day of the exhibition, the jury examines the selected works on display, and awards "The Sarreguemines Grand Prix for Ceramics" (with a grant of FF.25,000.

The prize-winning work becomes the property of the Committee and is included in the collections of the Sarreguemines Museum.

DESCHANG Victor,
born on 30/11/42 in Metz, resides in Malicorne (France.

DEWAR Richard,
born on 11/08/48 in Norwich (England), resides in Avessac (France).
Participated in the Sarreguemines Biennial Ceramic Show in 1996.

DONG HEE Kim,
born on 17/11/71 in Seoul (Korea) where she resides.

FLURER-BRUNGER Karin,
born on 23/07/56 in Crailsheim, resides in Klingen-Munster (Germany).

GELABERT TANA Maria,
born on 01/07/54 in Sant Fruitos de Bages (Spain) where she resides.

GOERG Martin,
born on 18/05/62 in Montabaur, resides in Höhr-Grenzhausen (Germany).

KIDAL Hilde,
born on 27/07/47 in Askim (Norway), resides in Prévessin-Moens (France).

KORIN Tytti,
born on 11/12/74 in Kokkola (Finland), resides in Amsterdam
(The Netherlands).

KOVALEVYCH Ihor,
born on 24/01/53 in Lviv (Ukraine) where he resides.

KOVALEVYCH Liudmyla,
born on 03/07/53 in Lviv (Ukraine) where she resides.

KRATZER Sabine,
born on 21/08/60 in Karlsruhe, resides in Scholen (Germany).

POPOFF-BORBEY Laure,
born on 06/12/58 in Paris (France), resides in Howald (Luxembourg).

RAY NINO Carol,
born on 09/02/44 in London (Great Britain), resides in Madrid (Spain).
Participated in the Sarreguemines Grand prix for Ceramicc 1996.

REMMY Matthieu,
born on 16/06/59 in Wissembourg, resides in Betschdorf (France).

RUPPERT FRANZ,
born on 31/12/52 in Weibersbrunn (Germany) where he resides.

SACCHI Gabriella,
born on 29/06/51 in Milan (Italy) where she resides.

SCAGLIOLA Madeleine,
born on 02/11/51 in St. Oven, resides in Malicorne (France).

SKEFFINGTON N. Thomas,
born on 24/04/64 in New York, resides in Bridgetown (USA).

STEINICKE Claudia,
born on 30/12/69 in Eisenhüttenstadt, resides in Gstadt/Gollenshausen
(Germany).

STOFF Iris,
born on 18/09/59 in Hellenthal, resides in Frauenchiemsee (Germany).
Participated in the Sarreguemines Grand Prix for Ceramics in 1993.

STEVENI Diantha,
born on 07/01/42 in Seattle (USA), resides in Stratford-upon-Avon
(Great Britain).

VERDONCK Carine,
born on 05/05/57 in Wetteren, resides in Kalmthout (Belgium). Exhibited within the framework of the Sarreguemines Grand Prix for Ceramics in 1997-1998.

WENZEL Hebert,
born on 22/09/49 in Sulzbach-Rosenberg, resides in Oberderdingen (Germany).

The winner of the 1999 Grand Prix for Ceramics awarded by the Town of Sarreguemines is an American artist, Thomas N. Skeffington. He had contacted the organizers after seeing the rules for the event on Internet, just like another ceramic artist included in the short-list, Korin Tytti from Amsterdam. Mr. Skeffington, who lives in New Jersey, has won the prize of FF.25,000.

SKEFFINGTON N. Thomas, born on 24/04/64 in New York, resides in Bridgetown (USA).

1986-1987 : apprentice with Toshiko Takaezu
1991/1993 : University of Illinois

Ceramics Teacher since 1991 (University of Illinois, Kent Denver School, University of the City of Kansas, the Rowan University of Glassboro, New Jersey).

1993/1994 : Resident Artist at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities in Colorado; Member of the Glass Art Society, the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Art, the College Art Association, the New Jersey Designer Craftsmen and the American Craft Council.

Recent Exhibitions:
1999 : Ceramics Monthly International Exhibition in Columbus (Ohio); Born of Ashes, Wood-fired Ceramics, at the Arkansas Art Center of Little Rock (Arkansas).
1998 : Allentown Art Museum; Vessels that Pour, in Chicago (Illinois).
1997 : Barrick Museum of Las Vegas (Nevada); Lincoln Art Center (California).
1996 : Monarch National Ceramic Competition at the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts of Florence (Alabama).