At Artistry in Glass, we understand that an award can be any item of perceived value that can be inscribed with the name of the recipient. We have been making custom awards since 1986 and pride ourselves on finding the most perfectly appropriate material for a specific client.
Our customer for this example was the Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice which supports people and innovative collaborations between the University of Arizona and community organizations that improve water resilience, with particular emphasis on the water access and quality challenges that face Native American and Indigenous people.
How to choose the material for an award
In May 2020, the Haury Program revised its program support goals in response to the challenges faced by Indian Country due to COVID-19. They committed their primary future grants and other resources to the support of the water sustainability goals of Native and Indigenous communities with a primary emphasis on the Navajo Nation, and to strengthening the Native American and Indigenous student, faculty, and staff pipeline at the University of Arizona.
To congratulate program participants on their service, the University requested a natural rock similar to the rocks on the Navajo Reservation. Using his geological knowledge John Wakefield, of Artistry in Glass, teamed up with Arizona Tile to choose a beautiful marble from Turkey. The banding closely resembles that seen in sandstones but the marble is smoother and therefore much easier to sandblast with detailed lettering.
Manufacturing the award
Marble is composed mainly of calcite (calcium carbonate) and is therefore soft and easy to cut. We use a diamond blade on a tile saw to cut strips of marble for the base and to shape the body of the award.
Designing the awards
Our design experience over more than 30 years helps us to come up with a pleasing graphical arrangement for the award. The principal concerns are to include a logo to identify and “brand” the award, and then to emphasize the recipient by making his or her name prominent.
Our intention is always to make it easy for the customer to clearly visualize the future appearance of the award – so, to this end, we provide a typeset rendering for proof-reading as well as a simulation or “mock-up” of the final product.
Manufacturing the award
After approval of the artwork, Artistry in Glass creates a vinyl stencil that is attached to the smooth marble to form a “resist”. The areas that have been “weeded out” (the logo and the lettering) are exposed to a high-pressure stream of abrasive grit (either silicon carbide or aluminum oxide) and a depth “etch” is achieved as the hard abrasive grains bombard the softer marble.
Following the successful sandblasting, the resist is left on while three paint colors (black, blue, and red) are carefully applied. The completed award is then attached to a base made with a double thickness of the same marble.
We derive great satisfaction from playing our small part in recognizing worthy award recipients – especially from socially admirable enterprises like the Agnese Nelms Haury Program. We were also fortunate, on this project, to receive the help of Tucson’s premier tile company – Arizona Tile.
Sincere thanks to both of these organizations!
More information on our award services
Since 1986, we have developed great expertise in the creation of custom awards. Follow these links for insider information:
Awards for Corporations
Awards for Non-Profits
Awards for Families
Awards for Clubs
Awards for Anniversaries
