LDSOA student, Windgate Fellowship winner

Congratulations to UGA Art student Rachel Columb:

The University of North Carolina-Asheville's Center for Craft, Creativity and Design has awarded 10 graduating seniors each with $15,000 in the form of a Windgate Fellowship, including Rachel Columb from the University of Georgia Lamar Dodd School of Art.

Universities from across the U.S. were invited to nominate two graduating seniors with exemplary skills in craft for one of the largest awards offered nationally to art students. Applicants completed an online application with images of their work and a proposal outlining how the $15,000 would enhance their careers.

Columb will graduate in May with a BFA in jewelry and metals and it would be difficult to overstate the importance of this award to the future of her studio career. Becoming a professional artist is expensive, difficult and mostly not very glamorous, especially at the beginning of a career. And while we might be able to say that about many other careers, an artist has to cope with these challenges while remaining open and feeding their creativity. In the art world, this kind of award is nearly on par with a Rhodes or Truman scholarship, in impact, if not prestige.

Image: Planet Ring. Sterling Silver, Bone. Rachel Columb