Whittaker, Helen
Stevens Competition Commission winner 2002
Helen Whittaker FMGP (b.1974) is a renowned artist and designer, highly regarded for her new stained glass windows and architectural sculpture in glass and copper.
Helen’s aim is to engage the viewer through good design and craftsmanship, creating energy and movement intertwining contemporary and traditional elements. Her designs are inspired by the client, the brief and the building, whether housed in historic or modern buildings, in ecclesiastical or secular contexts.
Helen is the Creative Director at the highly acclaimed Barley Studio in York, heading the multi-skilled team alongside Managing Director Keith Barley MBE.
Source: Helen Whittaker Art website
Helen Whittaker and the Worshipful Company of Glaziers
The Worshipful Company of Glaziers was founded in 1328 and remains dedicated to the art and craft of stained glass. In recent times the emphasis has moved from the protection of the personal economic welfare of Glaziers to the preservation of the heritage of stained glass and the support of continuing high standards.
A key part of this work has been the annual competition for young artists, which began in 1932 and which, since 1982, has operated under the banner of the Stevens Competition, the premier competition for stained glass artists in the UK.
Helen Whittaker won the Stevens Competition Commission in 2002 to create a new east window for Ellerton Priory. The panel submitted to the Competition is shown opposite, and full details of the window can be found here. Helen Whittaker won a further award for Craftsmanship in 2004. More recently she has served as a judge for the Stevens Competition, and since 2016 has been chair of the judges.
