Kerry Vincent
Encyclopedia
Kerry Vincent, née Flynn (born 1 June 1944), is the director and co-founder of the annual Oklahoma Sugar Art Show, author
, and freelance writer
. She is also a judge on the Food Network Challenge
television show.
. In 2001 she wrote the book Romantic Wedding and Celebration Cakes . She was inducted into the International Cake Exploration Societé (ICES) Sugarcraft Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C.
in 2004.
Vincent regularly appears as one of the judges on the reality series Food Network Challenge on the Food Network
Cable television
network. She was also the show host for four one-hour specials for the Food Network, highlighting the skill of winning contestants in the Grand National Wedding Cake Competition.
Vincent has demonstrated sugarcraft at a variety of international venues and celebrity occasions, as well as making a number of television appearances to promote the art. She has taught at the El Atelier Del Azucar Bakery School in Santa Rosa District, Lima Province
, Peru
. She demonstrated sugarcraft at The British Sugarcraft Guild in the UK in 2001, and she was a presenter at the Australian Association of Sugarcraft in 2003. Vincent has served as the voluntary International Publicity Chairman for the annual cake-decorating exhibition, ICES Conventions in 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2006. She also made cakes for the PME book, 'Creating Wedding & Anniversary cakes.'
Vincent has taught at the French Pastry School, Chicago
in the Master Instructor’s series. In May 2004, she taught at the Macomb Culinary Institute in Warren, Michigan
part of the Macomb Community College
.
After the Wedding Style Director of Brides magazine
was a guest judge at the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show, Vincent was selected for a special feature in the March–April 2008 issue of the magazine entitled "America's 50 Most Beautiful Cakes."
, 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, cake decorators 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 Food Network taped a TV special at the show in 2006.
The Tulsa World
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.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and freelance writer
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
. She is also a judge on the Food Network Challenge
Food Network Challenge
Food Network Challenge is a competitive cooking television series that currently airs on the Food Network. Each episode, professional chefs compete in a timed competition in their professional specialty. The winner receives a check for $10,000 and a gold medal.-Format:The competitions are judged...
television show.
Career
Vincent is a self-taught Cake DesignerCake decorating
Cake decorating is one of the sugar arts that uses icing or frosting and other edible decorative elements to make otherwise plain cakes more visually interesting...
. In 2001 she wrote the book Romantic Wedding and Celebration Cakes . She was inducted into the International Cake Exploration Societé (ICES) Sugarcraft Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 2004.
Vincent regularly appears as one of the judges on the reality series Food Network Challenge on the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
Cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network. She was also the show host for four one-hour specials for the Food Network, highlighting the skill of winning contestants in the Grand National Wedding Cake Competition.
Vincent has demonstrated sugarcraft at a variety of international venues and celebrity occasions, as well as making a number of television appearances to promote the art. She has taught at the El Atelier Del Azucar Bakery School in Santa Rosa District, Lima Province
Lima Province
Lima Province is located in the central coast of Peru and is the only province in the country not belonging to any of the twenty-five regions. Its capital is Lima, which is also the nation's capital....
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. She demonstrated sugarcraft at The British Sugarcraft Guild in the UK in 2001, and she was a presenter at the Australian Association of Sugarcraft in 2003. Vincent has served as the voluntary International Publicity Chairman for the annual cake-decorating exhibition, ICES Conventions in 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2006. She also made cakes for the PME book, 'Creating Wedding & Anniversary cakes.'
Vincent has taught at the French Pastry School, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in the Master Instructor’s series. In May 2004, she taught at the Macomb Culinary Institute in Warren, Michigan
Warren, Michigan
Warren is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2010 census places the city's population at 134,056, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, the third largest city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit's largest suburb....
part of the Macomb Community College
Macomb Community College
Macomb Community College is a community college with several locations in Michigan. Its headquarters are in Warren.-History:The Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction approved the establishment of South Macomb Community College as an extension of the traditional K-12 system in the Van Dyke...
.
After the Wedding Style Director of Brides magazine
Brides (magazine)
Brides is an American monthly magazine published by Condé Nast, who purchased the magazine in 1959. As with many similar bridal magazines, it is designed to be an in-depth resource for brides-to-be, with many photographs and articles on wedding dresses, cakes, ceremonies, receptions and honeymoons...
was a guest judge at the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show, Vincent was selected for a special feature in the March–April 2008 issue of the magazine entitled "America's 50 Most Beautiful Cakes."
Oklahoma Sugar Art Show
Vincent's personal mission is to elevate sugarcraft techniques for recognition as a true art form worldwide. To facilitate this, she directs the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show, the largest judged sugar art show in the United States, which she co-founded in 1993 with her colleague Maxine Boyington. After four years, Boyington opted to drop out of the partnership in favor 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. The event attracts competitors and participants from countries such as ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
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, cake decorators 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 Food Network taped a TV special at the show in 2006.
The Tulsa World
Tulsa World
Tulsa World is the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma, and is the second-most widely circulated newspaper in the state, after The Oklahoman. It was founded in 1905 and remains an independent newspaper,...
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.