The University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Department of Art and Art History and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha announced the inauguration of the Bemis Center Residency Prize for graduates from the UNL Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program. The Residency Prize will be awarded annually to an outstanding MFA student graduating from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
“We saw it as a nice way to have a broad interaction with the Bemis Center,” said Assistant Professor of Practice Marissa Vigneault.
She said new Bemis Center Executive Director Adam Price wanted better connections with UNL, which is the only art program in the state that has a graduate program. The new Residency Prize was a natural partnership for two supporters of contemporary art.
“The Bemis Center is THE contemporary arts center in Nebraska. They have their roots here, and they’ve really supported Nebraska artists and a community, but they’ve been very centered around Omaha,” she said. “So we were looking for a way to create that bridge between Lincoln and Omaha. We have a stellar art community here. We’re trying to develop these ways connect further these two communities and have these conversations emerge between the artists who are practicing and showing in both of them.”
Price agreed.
“The Bemis Center, for all of its international success, has always been a Nebraska institution. It is therefore a great pleasure for myself, our staff, and the Board of Trustees to be able to demonstrate our support for emerging Nebraska artists by offering this new Residency Prize each year to an MFA graduate from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln,” Price said.
All third-year MFA students are eligible to apply for the Residency Prize. UNL art and art history faculty will nominate three students for consideration; the Bemis Center will determine the recipient. The first award winner will be announced at the annual UNL Department of Art and Art History award ceremony at the end of March 2014.
“Our students are so excited,” Vigneault said. “I think they’re really looking forward to this opportunity. The Bemis has an international reputation so they know if they are awarded this prize, it will look fantastic on their future applications for residences and will give them opportunities to connect with artists that are coming internationally into Omaha. This is a nice introduction to that larger art world.”
Recipients of the UNL Master of Fine Arts degree study for three years under the University’s visual arts and art history faculty and graduate with an emphasis in one the following areas: ceramics, painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, graphic design, digital arts or a combination of two of these areas.
Recent graduates from both the MFA and BFA programs have been nationally recognized for their achievements as artists, underscoring the University’s exceptional art programs. Matthew Blache (MFA ’13) was recognized as part of the Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Awards from the International Sculpture Center; Ying Zhu (MFA ’10) was selected for the Bemis Center’s international residency program in 2011; and Catherine Meier (BFA ’05) received a McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship to study at the Minneapolis College of Art And Design.
The Residency Prize will follow the same guidelines as the Bemis Center’s internationally-recognized Artist-in-Residence program, which provides critical time and support to outstanding artists working at the cutting-edge of contemporary practice. In a typical year, the Bemis Center can accept fewer than two percent of applicants to its residency program.
The Residency Prize will include:
• three months of uninterrupted, self-directed work time
• an opportunity to engage in extended dialogue with peers from around the world
• a large live/work studio with private kitchen and bathroom
• 24-hour access to facilities, including a wood shop, installation spaces and a 10,000 square foot sculpture facility
• a $750 monthly stipend and full staff support
The recipient of the Residency Prize is expected to join the Bemis Center program within 12 months of selection.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have the Bemis, an internationally recognized contemporary art center, only an hour from UNL’s campus, and our hope is that the establishment of the Residency Prize will further cement the connection between these two respected institutions,” Vigneault said. “We offer our tremendous thanks to the Bemis for making this generous prize possible and for recognizing the outstanding capabilities and future potential of our graduate students.”
For more information on the residency program, visit http://go.unl.edu/bemis.
For more information on the UNL Department of Art and Art History, visit http://art.unl.edu.