Honors for MFA Candidate Samantha Wall

Samantha Wall ’11 (MFA Visual Studies) was recently awarded an MFA grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation , an honor that is annually granted to only 15 students nationwide and includes a $15,000 cash prize. Created to further the careers of MFA students, painters and sculptors, the award is meant to aid in the transition from academic to professional studio work upon graduation.

It is a honor for PNCA to be among the schools invited to nominate students for the Joan Mitchell Foundation grant as the foundation limits the number of schools that can nominate students. This is the second year that PNCA has nominated MFA students for the prize.

Samantha Wall was also chosen as one of twelve outstanding MFA students from across the United States to participate in First Look III exhibition at the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art in Peekskill, NY. In organizing the exhibition, the HVCCA arranged a curatorial team, which visited over 30 universities and close to 2000 studios. Over 90 artists were nominated for the exhibition and 12 were selected.

The Review Committee included skilled gallerists, artists, curators and collectors. HVCCA’s First Look has proven to be a must-see for collectors, galleries and international museums interested in seeing new talent, and are highly regarded among MFA students. It is distinguished by the fact that all artwork included resulted from personal studio visits and nominations.