News

Five CIA artists have won Individual Excellence Awards from the Ohio Arts Council, the state-funded organization announced in late March. They were among 32 award winners statewide chosen from 524 applicants.

Faculty members Gretchen Goss [pictured], Sarah Kabot, and Royden Watson, staff member Amy Casey ’99, and 2009 graduate Jerry Birchfield have each won $5,000 to pursue their artwork.

Goss, who is professor and head of the enamel department and chair of Craft + Material Culture, won in the craft category. Kabot, who is assistant professor and head of the drawing department, won in the three-dimensional visual arts category. Recognized in the two-dimensional visual arts category are Watson, who is a full-time visiting instructor teaching in the foundation program and the painting department; Casey, who is project coordinator for CIA’s Reinberger Galleries; and Birchfield, who holds a BFA in photography.

According to the Ohio Arts Council, the Individual Excellence Awards recognize “creativity and imagination that exemplify the highest level of achievement and advancement” and “give the artists who receive them the time and resources to experiment, explore and reflect as they develop their skills and advance their art form.”

The competitive application process focuses on “evidence and merit of past artistic work and an open panel review conducted by nationally recognized professionals in each discipline (to) ensure that only the most exceptional individuals receive funding.”