Creating intricate works using a traditional paper technique called quilling, Lisa Nilsson doesn't mind working slowly. But when her spell-binding art went viral, her career went through a swift transformation. Lisa's work was recently featured in the Mass Cultural Council Awardees in Crafts and Sculpture/Installation/New Genres exhibit at the New Art Center in … [Read more...]
Why Fund Artists? Part 3
Massachusetts has been funding artists for 40 years, and to help illuminate why, we're asking past Artist Fellowships awardees to tell us what happened after they were honored with a state award. This is the third gallery exploring the history of the Artist Fellowships Program. See the first and second. And if you're a past awardee, visit our Alumni Book to tell your … [Read more...]
Carl Phillips: Poetry of the Irreconcilable
In 1990, Carl Phillips was a high school Latin teacher in Falmouth when he had a chance encounter with a Massachusetts poet. That experience led him to apply for a state fellowship in poetry - and onto an extraordinary career exploring the irreconcilable forces of need and desire. Carl Phillips' thirteenth collection of poetry, Reconnaissance, was just published by … [Read more...]
Why Fund Artists? Part 2
Massachusetts has been funding artists for 40 years, and to help illuminate why, we're asking past Artist Fellowships awardees to tell us what happened next. This is the second gallery exploring the history of the Artist Fellowships Program (see the first). And if you're a past awardee, visit our Alumni Book to tell your story. … [Read more...]
Alexandra Anthony: a Filmmaking Tale Worthy of Myth
When she won a state fellowship in 1987, Alexandra Anthony thought her personal documentary Lost in the Bewilderness was nearly complete. But real life doesn't have a neat ending. Like a journey out of Greek myth, the film project searched for decades before finding its way home. Mass Cultural Council is celebrating 40 Years of Fellowships by sharing video interviews … [Read more...]