Dan Jackson, who graduated this past May with a master of fine arts degree, was selected to receive a highly competitive annual grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation.
From an invited nomination process of 125 nominees, only 15 graduating painters nationwide receive the MFA Grant.
"Not only is this a feather in the cap of the art department to have been invited to nominate someone, but it is a tremendous achievement for our student to win," says Joann Browning, associate dean for the arts.
The MFA Grant was established by the Joan Mitchell Foundation in 1997 "to help MFA painters and sculptors in furthering their artistic careers and to aid in the transition from academic to professional studio work upon graduation."
The grants are given in recognition of artistic quality to artists chosen from a body of candidates put forth by nominators from the academic art community across the United States.