August 16, 2010

Local artist-educators awarded nearly $100,000 in graduate fellowships from the Antonio Cirino Memorial Fund

Sixteen Rhode Island artist-educators have been awarded a total of $97,500 from the Antonio Cirino Memorial Fund at The Rhode Island Foundation. The fellowships are awarded to artists pursuing graduate degrees to teach the arts.

Antonio Cirino was a prominent Rhode Island artist, author, and instructor for whom more than 90 years of dedication to the arts was not enough: upon his death, his estate established the $800,000 Cirino Fund at the Foundation to offer fellowships for would-be art teachers. Born on March, 23, 1889 in Serino, Italy, Cirino came to the United States when he was two years old. He attended the Rhode Island School of Design and later joined the faculty in 1912 where he taught for nearly 40 years. He also taught at Columbia, Illinois State, and Indiana Universities. He was a prolific oil painter and was honored by the Salmagundi Club (New York), the Rockport Art Association (Massachusetts), and the Providence Art Club. His impressionistic work of New England landscapes is exhibited in public, private and national collections and galleries.

“The Foundation is proud to support efforts to sustain and improve arts education through this important fellowship program,” noted Neil D. Steinberg, president and chief executive officer of The Rhode Island Foundation. “It is widely acknowledged that including arts in school curricula enriches students’ lives and enlivens the learning process. We congratulate the fellowship recipients on their talent and initiative.”

“The Antonio Cirino Memorial Fund honors our faculty and their passion for teaching. It is an inspiration to the RISD community to see this robust list of future artist-educators from Rhode Island. Fellowships like this are a critical resource for graduate students and I congratulate the award recipients on this honor in memory of Mr. Cirino,” said John Maeda, president of the Rhode Island School of Design.

First-time Cirino Award winners include:

• Brian Birch, Warwick, toward a master of fine arts in film at Columbia University, New York, NY;
• Amanda Brown, Narragansett, toward a master of fine arts in sculpture at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA;
• Caitlin Craig, Charlestown, toward a doctor of musical arts in flute performance at West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV;
• Melanie Ducharme, Coventry, toward a master in art in teaching at Rhode Island College;
• Daniel Kutty, North Providence, toward a master of music in music performance-piano performance at the University of Rhode Island;
• Phillip Mazza, Exeter, toward a master of music in composition at the University of Rhode Island;
• Micaela Morin, North Smithfield, toward a master of arts in art education at Rhode Island College;
• Kyla Pearson, Riverside, toward a master of art in art education at Rhode Island College;
• Moriah Ramos, Providence, toward a master of performance in flute at Longy School of Music, Cambridge, MA; and
• Troy Quinn, North Providence, toward a doctor of musical arts in choral music at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.

Renewals of their Cirino Awards were granted to the following:

• Melissa Brown, North Scituate, toward a master of fine arts in studio art at Southern Methodist University, University Park, Texas;
• Anthony Champa, East Providence, toward a master of art in art in public at the University of Ulster, United Kingdom;
• Kristina Hook, Portsmouth, toward a master of art in teaching in art education at Rhode Island College
•  Ana Paulo, East Providence, master of art in art education at Rhode Island College;
• Amanda Pugliesi, Pawtucket, master of art in art education at Rhode Island College; and
• Kirk Snow, Lincoln, toward a master of fine arts at Tufts University/School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.

Applicants for Cirino fellowships must be Rhode Island residents/artists who need financial assistance to acquire education toward a masters or doctorate in order to pursue a teaching career in the arts. Applicants may be degree candidates in one or more aspects of the arts and in one or more of the arts disciplines.

The next application deadline for Antonio Cirino Memorial Fund fellowships will be in spring 2011; a full list of scholarships offered through The Rhode Island Foundation is available in the scholarships section of the Foundation’s website.