Micah Daw (MFA 2010) recipientiant of The Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant
Friday, August 13
When informed that he was one of fifteen annual recipients of The Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant totaling $15,000, Micah Daw was unsurprisingly surrounded by his artwork, representing years of hard work.
After earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, Daw chose to come to Ohio State to study for his master’s degree. His large acrylic paintings focus on the ideas of perspective and space.
“My work and geometric shapes are not meant to directly represent a structure but rather have a metaphorical standing,” he said.
When Daw applied for the grant, he had to send a proposal detailing what the award money would be used for and send six pieces of work to the committee. Daw chose to submit new pieces he was working on, rather then an established project.
In Micah’s words “there are never any guarantees in an artist’s life, so to picture five years down the road is nearly impossible.” He followed his own wisdom and took a chance on his new, less established artwork.
The grant, which was created in 1997, allows painters and sculptors to further their artistic careers and goals and help the transition from school to professional studio work. The grant will allow him to work with the freedom and security that many artists hope for. The award will also allow him to follow another one of his newly discovered passions, teaching.
While here at Ohio State he fell in love with teaching as a graduate student. To have the opportunity to be another artist’s mentor is something irreplaceable to Daw.
“Teaching was far from my mind when starting here, but I love it and want to continue working with students,” said Daw.
Just like Micah Daw’s work, a perspective of time and space, his artwork will now stay solidified in time as a Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant winner. Daw was featured in the 2010 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition at the OSU Urban Arts Space.
Story by student Katlin McNally.
