Kerry Vincent

Kerry Vincent, née Flynn (born in Wyalkatchem, Western Australia is the show director of the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show, author, and freelance writer. She is also a judge on the Food Network Challenge television show [http://www.acfchefs.org/Content/OnlineResources/trends/Biscotti.htm.

Background

Vincent is a self-taught Hall of Fame Master Sugar Artist and Cake Designer who was inducted into the International ICES Sugar-craft Hall of Fame in Washington DC in 2004. Her solid reputation in the mastery of the sugar arts led to an invitation by Murdoch Books [www.murdochbooks.uk] to write the book Romantic Wedding Cakes.

Vicent appears regularly as judge on the reality series Food Network Challenge and was the show host for four one-hour specials for the Food Network TV highlighting the skill of winning contestants in the Grand National Wedding Cake Competition.

Vincent, a nationally acclaimed sugar-craft judge adjudicated the following reality television competitions from early 2005 to 2008 - Holiday Cakes Sea Island Georgia Disney Princesses (Disney) Florida, Disney Villains (Disney) Florida, Candy Castles Minnesota Cartoon Cake Challenge, The Simpson’s Movie Cake (Fox) Colorado, Gingerbread Houses North Carolina Haunted Gingerbread Houses Colorado, Sweet Sixteen Cakes Colorado, Wedding Cake Surprise Oklahoma[1] To air soon: Dr. Seuss Cakes Colorado Surprise Engagement Colorado Mystery Client Colorado Fruit carving Competition Florida

Brides magazine [2] one of the largest circulation bridal magazines in the world chose Vincent to be among fifty of the top cake stylists in the United States to create a designer cake for a special 2008 Valentine's Day issue.

Vincent has been credited by her peers for innovating two completely new and distinct sugar-craft techniques.

Vincents personal mission is to elevate sugar-craft techniques for recognition as a true art form worldwide. To facilitate this she directs the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show, the largest judged sugar art show in the United States. Believing that excellence is achieved through competition, Vincent co-founded the non-profit Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show in 1993 with her colleague Maxine Boyington. Both were volunteers. After four years, Boyington opted to drop out of the partnership in favour of competing and Vincent began an expansion with a vision that took the event to great heights. Under the sugar art show umbrella "The Grand National Wedding Cake Competition" was founded – a specialty event in the USA.[www.oklahomasugarartists.com], [www.tulsaworld.com]. The event attracts competitors and participants from countries such asArgentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka and United Kingdom.

In addition to the competition, the idea is to educate and encourage a higher skill level among prospective contestants. Vincent believes that competition is key to personal artistic growth. Creating this special forum has made participants push the envelope and grow beyond their dreams. The event is also used as a vehicle to provide free, continuing education, to non-competitive sugar artists, cakedecorators and designers, by providing an opportunity to learn from the celebrated hierarchy of their chosen hobby or profession; all made available at no cost to the contestants and participants. This sustained attention to encourage and mentor up-and-coming generations has been ongoing for the past 14 years.

The Tulsa World [3] newspaper ran a special supplement celebrating the Oklahoma State Centennial, which concluded in November 2007. The citizens of Oklahoma were asked to participate in a statewide opinion survey for their favorite foods, cookbook authors and food events, one to apply for each of the past 100 years. The Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show was voted number 20 in a list of 100 state icons for the century. Those that nominated and voted came from the state’s general population.

Vincent has demonstrated sugar-craft at a variety of international venues and celebrity occasions, as well as making multiple television appearances to promote the art at home and abroad. She has appeated in Peru, El Atelier Del Azucar, [4]. The British Sugarcraft Guild [www.bsguk.org/2001], Australia, The Australian Association of Sugarcraft presenter 2003 [5] She has served as the voluntary International Publicity Chairman for the 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2006 ICES Conventions, the largest cake-decorating non-judged exhibition in the USA [www.ices.org].

Commercially she has taught at the prestigious French Pastry School, Chicago in the Master Instructor’s series, [www.frenchpastryschool.com]. Also at the Macomb Culinary Institute continuing education courses,[www.macomb.edu/Alumni/Newsletter/AtMacomb-SP04.pdf], The Chocolate Loft and Garrisons Confections, [www.garrisonconfections.com], Rhode Island and the Caljava International Sugarcraft School, California [6].

Vincent is a fifth-generation Australian, daughter of Roy Flynn, World War II veteran, 2/5th Cavalry Commando Squadron (Australia) and Dorothy Frances Flynn, née Flynn. Her mother was a homemaker. Both are deceased. Kerry Vincent is married to Douglas Lee Vincent (American), Petroleum Engineer and Landowner (ret).