The Delaware
Division of the Arts has awarded 2017 Individual Artist Fellowships to
18 state residents, including four University of Delaware faculty
members, in recognition of the high quality of their work.
Among those receiving awards in the established professional
category were Troy Richards, A.T. Moffett, Phillip Bannowsky and
Mahasveta (Gitu) Barua. Awards in that category provide a $6,000 grant.
Richards, who is associate professor of art and design and interim
associate dean for the arts in the College of Arts and Sciences, was
recognized in the visual arts category for his work as a painter.
Moffett, an adjunct faculty member in the dance program, was recognized
for choreography.
Bannowsky and Barua, adjunct faculty members in the Department of
English as well as UD alumni, received awards in the literature
category, Bannowsky for poetry and Barua for fiction writing. Bannowsky
earned his bachelors degree in 1989 and a masters degree in 1990, both
in English, and Barua earned a masters degree in English in 1987.
The division awarded an honorable mention to Dennis Beach, who
received his masters degree in fine arts at UD in 2005 and was
recognized for his work as a sculptor.
To give the public an opportunity to experience their work, fellows
are required to offer at least one exhibit or performance during the
coming year. Their work will be featured in a group exhibition, Award
Winners XVII, at the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover this summer.
Individual Artist Fellowship grants provide the recognition and
exposure that artists need to successfully promote their work, said
Paul Weagraff, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. The
financial award allows them to pursue advanced training, purchase
equipment and materials or fulfill other needs to advance their
careers.
The division, a state agency, works with its advisory group, the
Delaware State Arts Council, to support arts programming, educate the
public, increase awareness of the arts and integrate the arts into all
facets of life in Delaware.
