The £1500 main prize went to Rich Curtis, from Alabama, USA, who is from the same Shoals area where Dr Helen Keller was born.

Sight Unseen

His work titled Sight Unseen comprises 20 textured paintings on paper.

Dummy Jim received a Highly Commended Award – £200 plus the ‘E.D.G.D. Fairfull-Smith’ Award & keepsake.

‘It has been a great honour to have the Dummy Jim website included in such a prestigious show as the Helen Keller International Award’ said Matt Hulse, director of the Dummy Jim project.

‘James Duthie, on whose story Dummy Jim is based, shared with Helen a genuinely optimistic, determined spirit & a firm faith in the power of knowledge & education to transform lives. Like her, James was also a great communicator & lover of the natural world.’

‘Sadly James was killed in a road accident back in 1965, but I have no doubt at all that he would have been intrigued by & proud of his connection to this show.’

‘On a personal level, I vividly remember reading about Helen Keller during my childhood. Recently I rediscovered her book ‘The Story of My Life’ & was struck by how deep an impression it must have made upon me back then & how she continues to influence my work to this day.’

Helen Keller

Sense Scotland became trustees of this fund in 1989, transforming it from an annual essay competition, into the Helen Keller International Award, a multi-media art competition open to professional and non-professional artists.

Now coordinated biannually, the Award attracts an ever-increasing number of entries from artists across the world.

The Dummy Jim website has been shortlisted for the prestigious award. The winner and runners-up will be announced at an event at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday 18th April at 2pm.

The 8th Helen Keller International Award Exhibition is at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. It opens on Saturday 4th April at 2pm and runs until 4th May 2009.