The International Sculpture Center is proud to present the four winners of the 1997 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award. This annual award was founded in 1994 to recognize young sculptors and to encourage their continued commitment to the field of sculpture. As part of the award, the artists are presented with a one-year Individual Level ISC Membership, as well as free registration to the ISC’s International Sculpture Conference.
Art departments that are University Level Members may nominate one candidate each year for the Student Achievement Award. For more information about University Level Membership and the 1998 nomination process, contact the ISC office at 202.785.1144.
Ann Stohner BFA University of the Arts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ann Stohner has spent much of her life traveling. A perpetual newcomer during her childhood, she became a practiced observer of her surroundings. She also learned early on how to build things. Her father, an amateur carpenter, taught her how to put materials together and solve problems, an invaluable skill that she now uses every day. During her senior year at the University of the Arts, the focus of her work has shifted from form to content. Her recent stone sculptures explore biological themes.
Erik Hansen BA Montana State University Bozeman, Montana
Erik Hansen likes to live his life (literally) on the edge. An experienced rock and ice climber, he came to sculpture through the same desire for exploration and adventure. “I’ve always had a philosophy that one should create something out of existence…In many respects it’s a battle to overcome the mundane, to search out and create vitality.” Hansen searches for new ways of working with everyday materials. His work draws inspiration from the natural world-bold, organic forms crafted primarily from wood. Metal also finds its way into his larger sculptures; he often covers wood with copper or fabricates a framework and covers it with waxed fabric or steel.
Eric Ucci MFA Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia
The son of a carpenter, Eric Ucci began working with his father when he was eight years old. His current work synthesizes this influence with that of his mother, a painter. Ucci began his studies in architecture, and later, industrial design, at Syracuse University. These experiences continue to ground his work which emphasizes constructive media. His recent large-scale installation was included in the Washington Project for the Arts Options ’97 Exhibition.
Burke Paterson MFA State University of New York Buffalo, New York
According to his kindergarten report card, Burke Paterson had “a keen interest in the art center.” His training ranges from the representational traditions of the academy to the abstract modernism of the British formalists, who emphasized an understanding of materials and their relationship to surrounding space. Since receiving a BFA from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, Paterson has won numerous awards and fellowships, including a Canada Council Explorations Grant (1994) and an Ontario Arts Council Grant (1995).
