Repeat Honor Testament to Stephen Mishol's Creative Excellence
02/24/2016
By 厂丑别颈濒补听贰辫辫辞濒颈迟辞
For the second time in his career, Assoc. Prof. Stephen Mishol has been honored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) through an Artist Fellowship that recognizes exceptional work by Massachusetts artists.
While the $12,000 fellowship was granted for a series of Mishol鈥檚 graphite drawings, it is also designed to help ensure selected artists like him continue creating new work.
鈥淭he drawings are part of an ongoing body of work examining the nature of the modern landscape and environment,鈥� says Mishol, who teaches painting and drawing in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. 鈥淭hey are not of a specific place, rather each drawing is a collection of information that comes from various sources 鈥� observation, memory and invention 鈥� and is then woven together through a long process in the studio. 聽I want the images to parallel how one moves through these places of vast accumulations of change.鈥�
The MCC Artist Fellowships are awarded annually in three categories to 鈥減rovide direct, unrestricted support to Massachusetts artists in recognition of exceptional original work, to foster the creation of new art in the Commonwealth.鈥�
The honor, says Mishol, leaves him feeling blessed, and proud of his university and city.
鈥淭here are many deserving artists working today, so I feel especially fortunate to have my work recognized by the MCC,鈥� he says. 鈥淚'm also particularly grateful to be part of the University of Massachusetts Lowell community, as it has been very supportive of my research over the last 10 years. I was happy to see the City of Lowell included by my name on the list of recipients.鈥�
The 2016 Artist Fellowships awarded $208,000 in three categories: Drawing and Printing, Poetry and Traditional Arts.聽
Mishol鈥檚 first MCC Artist Fellowship was awarded for painting in 2008.