A FORMER Barnsley College student has won a prestigious award at the Cooper Gallery in Barnsley.

Former Level 3 Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication student, Isabel Edwards, won the Special Award for Originality and Skills at the Cooper Prize.

Isabel, is now studying BA Fine Art at Leeds Arts University. She won the College Special Award Prize with artwork she created for her final major project which she displayed at Barnsley College’s end-of-year exhibition in the Electric Theatre.

At the end of the Cooper Prize, Barnsley Museums announced they would purchase Isabel’s artwork, Erosion I, and keep it in their permanent collection.

Isabel said: “I was delighted to win the Barnsley College Special Award for Originality and Skills and it was fantastic that the Cooper Gallery purchased one of my pots.”

The Cooper Prize 2023 attracted a record number of artists all of whom had lived, worked or were born in South Yorkshire. Over 400 pieces of artwork were submitted and included abstract, figurative, contemporary and traditional artwork.