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Seed Grant Awardee: Mary Neubauer

Mary Neubauer | Herberger Institute for Design

As artists and object-makers who have both facilitated and created awards and medallions as art forms, the Neubauer/Wasson-Valle team is interested in the tradition of the individual art object as signifier for an event or achievement in an athletic tradition. We propose to investigate how artists and athletes jointly explore the history and relationship of achievement-making where the achievements pair physical objects of commemoration with intangible, yet societally valuable goals. Through this proposal, we are eager to examine the strong overlapping relationship of these seemingly far-ranging disciplines. We aim to explore the connection between sport and awards both in the traditional metallurgical foundry/forge/ fabrication modality, and also through an invitation to explore new and innovative materials and processes used in contemporary athletic awards. Through this proposed short course, we anticipate reaching a deeper understanding of the historical and modern forms of trophy and medallionmaking and their connection to, and commemoration of, the athletic experience.

We propose that Sport and Craft are counterparts to one another and especially connect to the body-centered, disciplined physical aspects required for both 3D art making and sport. We want to know where these skill-sets meet and recognize the similarities to approach and connection of subject matter where the culminating physical award is an object of achievement, recorded history, and desire.

Last Updated February 2020.