Two University of Delaware faculty members have received 2015 Individual Artist Fellowships from the state Division of the Arts in recognition of the high quality of their work.
Clarinetist Christopher Nichols, assistant professor of music, and painter Lance Winn, associate professor of art, were honored in the established professional category, which provides each recipient with a $6,000 award.
Individual Artist Fellowship grants provide the recognition and exposure that artists need to successfully promote their work, said Paul Weagraff, director of the division. The financial award allows them to pursue advanced training, purchase equipment and materials or fulfill other needs to advance their careers.
Fellows are required to present a performance or exhibit during the year to provide the public with the opportunity to experience their work, he said.
This years awards were given to 16 choreographers, composers, musicians, writers and visual artists in three categories. They were selected from 91 artists whose work was reviewed by out-of-state professionals, who considered the nominees creativity and skill.
Christopher Nichols, assistant professor of music
Nichols is a recitalist, military bandsman, orchestral musician and educator who makes frequent appearances throughout the United States and Europe and is in demand as a master class clinician and recitalist.
He spends part of the summer as a clarinet instructor at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan, where he also performs with the Blue Lake Festival Band and Orchestra.
Nichols has had a long career in the U.S. Army Music Career Program, first on active duty and currently as a reservist, performing with Army bands around the world. His service has been recognized with the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal and the Col. Finley R. Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award.
He performs frequently with his professional chamber music group, Payton and the Pipes, a unique combination of countertenor, flute and clarinet that actively commissions and premieres new literature.
In 2013, Nichols made his debut performance at the International Clarinet Associations Clarinetfest in Assisi, Italy, in a recital of works for voice, clarinet and piano that included the world premiere of composer Joseph Eidsons Birds of Passage for countertenor, clarinet and piano.
More information, including sound clips, is available at his website.