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Programs & Events: Student Awards
2024 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Awards

2024 Student Award Recipients


Shaping the Future: National Showcase of Emerging Sculptors


A celebration of the remarkable achievements of up-and-coming sculptors, the International Sculpture Center presents “Shaping the Future: National Showcase of Emerging Sculptors,” at 623 Smithfield St, Pittsburgh, PA.

Ranging from candy-painted reimaginings of cultural icons to long built-upon narratives of otherness, feminine rage, and indispensable dreams, these works are the markers of sculpture’s ever-evolving breadth.

This exhibition, featuring the 2024 recipients of the Outstanding Student Achievement Award, is on view from September 6th through November 8th. Open hours will be held from 12pm—6pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and during special programming.

September 6 - Opening, 5pm-7pm
October 25 - Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District
November 8 - Closing reception with the artists.

To stay up to date on receptions, artist talks, and programming coinciding with the Pittsburgh exhibition, sign up here.

Interested in working with the ISC? We’re looking for volunteers to work at the gallery! Apply here.

Ray Perez, Beacon, 2023. Cotton, aluminum, wood, natural rubber, steel, 1.5 x 1.5 x 6’.

Supported in part by Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, and McKnight Realty Partners.

2024 Recipients

The ISC is proud to present the recipients of the 2024 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Awards.

Natani Notah, artist and member of the Navajo Nation, Oklahoma; Andrew Wilson, artist, Michigan; and Alisha B. Wormsley, artist and educator, Pennsylvania, juried this year’s program, selecting 13 award recipients and 4 honorable mentions from a pool of 197 nominees from 98 schools. The award recipients will participate in a group exhibition and will be featured in Sculpture magazine.

The International Sculpture Center’s Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award was founded in 1994 to recognize young sculptors and encourage their continued commitment to the field of sculpture, as well as to recognize the award recipients' faculty sponsors and their institutions. For latest news about ISC Student Awards, please join our mailing list.

Reginald Ayivor
 

Reginald Ayivor

Eastern Illinois University
Faculty Sponsor: Matthew Boonstra
Death Within, 2024.
Wood and metal, 13.8 x 13.8 x 71”
Photo credit to Greg Cooper
Caroline Calvano
 

Caroline Calvano

Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Faculty Sponsor: Will Pergl
Slag God, 2024.
Bronze, stainless steel, belly button piercing
18 x 15 x 68”
Kyle Cottier
 

Kyle Cottier

University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Faculty Sponsor: Jason Brown
all day long / wearing a hat / that wasn’t on my head, 2024.
Wood, paint, rope
55 x 20 x 20”
Sara Cruz
 

Sara Cruz

California College of the Arts
Faculty Sponsor: Taro Hattori
Harness, 2023.
Beeswax, corn husks, cotton, wood, steel
48 x 38”
Mich Dillon
 

Mich Dillon

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Faculty Sponsor: Glenn Williams 
Supporting Dreams, 2023.
Dirt with plant buds at the base, adjustable support beam for a house, and an old green Milwaukee window frame placed at the top
10 x 2.5 x 2’
Abby Franke
 

Abby Franke

Herron School of Art + Design: Indiana University
Faculty Sponsor: Eric Nordgulen 
Unbridled Rage, 2024.
Posters, wheat-paste, faux brick, graffiti markers, spray paint
32 x 24”
Megan Grierson-Deshields
 

Megan Grierson-Deshields

Wayne State University
Faculty Sponsor: Eric Troffkin 
Hallow, 2023.
Paper pulp, beeswax, and plaster
5.5’ x 3’ x 13”
Photo credit to Rachel Falardeau
Veronica Ibargüengoitia
 

Veronica Ibargüengoitia

University of North Texas
Faculty Sponsor: Alicia Eggert 
Otherness, 2023.
Wood studs, pillows, eggshells, paper notes
12 x 17 x 17’
Tommy Lomeli
 

Tommy Lomeli

University of Kansas
Faculty Sponsor: Steven Gurysh
Serpent, 2024.
Stoneware, kandy paint, metal flake
48 x 30 x 36”
Chad Alexander Matha
 

Chad Alexander Matha

Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Faculty Sponsor: Will Pergl 
Wreck Room Matchbook, 2023.
Levi’s denim, cowhide leather, pinewood studded belt and buckle, stainless steel hardware, plastic beading
3 x 2 x 6’
Josh Mitchem
 

Josh Mitchem

University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts
Faculty Sponsor: Garry Bibbs
Anchored Reflections, 2024.
Wool, cast iron, cast aluminum, forged steel, rope, acrylic
120 x 96 x 40”
Ray Perez
 

Ray Perez

Ohio University School of Art + Design
Faculty Sponsor: Duane McDiarmid
Beacon, 2023.
Cotton, aluminum, wood, natural rubber, steel
1.5 x 1.5 x 6’
Kelly Tapia-Chuning
 

Kelly Tapia-Chuning

Cranbrook Academy of Art Fiber Department
Faculty Sponsor: Joey Quiñones 
home is in the purple line cradled by the land, what’s above and below (el hogar está en la línea violeta acuñada por la tierra, lo que está arriba y abajo), 2023.
dismantled serape (Mexican blanket), dried desert globemallow harvested in southern Utah during a superbloom, handmade vessel made with reclaimed copper from Utah, copper nails
75 x 50 x 9”

2024 Student Award Honorable Mentions

Name
CJ Carter
Sean Desiree
CJ Escobar Rodgers
MJ Francis

University
University of Oklahoma
The State University of New York at Albany
University of Notre Dame
University of North Carolina at Asheville

Faculty Sponsor
Leticia Bajuyo
Adam Frelin
Nooshin Hakim Javadi
Jackson Martin


Eligibility

All current University Members can nominate up to three (3) enrolled students working towards a BA, BFA or MFA.

All nominations must be made through the online form.

Students cannot apply for award. They must first be nominated by faculty/school.



Deadlines

2025 Program Timeline
Coming Soon!

Award Benefits

Potential inclusion in a Fall/Winter Exhibition

Student Award program feature article in Sculpture magazine

Complimentary one-year membership in ISC

ISC Award Certificate and recognition letter

Student Awards FAQ

Who can nominate students for the Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award?

Current ISC University members may nominate up to three students.

How do I know if my University Membership is current?

Sign into your ISC account and click on Membership Info under My Profile section on the right side of the screen for all of your membership information. For further assistance, email studentawards@sculpture.org or call 609-689-1051 ext 301.

When will award recipients be notified?

All nominated students will be notified of program status in late June or early July of current program year. Award recipients will be featured in Sculpture magazine.

Who can I contact with questions or to request more information about the Student Awards Program?

Please contact studentawards@sculpture.org or (609) 689-1051 ext. 319.


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