Linda Nguyen Lopez
USA Artists recently announced the 2024 USA Fellows, a group of 50 honorees that includes both artists and collectives from 10 creative disciplines. Among those selected, Linda Nguyen Lopez, associate professor in the School of Fine Arts, foundation program director, and ceramic artist, was selected as one of the newest U.S. Fellows in Crafts.
Ms. Lopez will receive an unrestricted prize of $50,000 in recognition of her significant contributions to the cultural fabric of this country.
Lopez is a first-generation American artist of Vietnamese and Mexican descent. Her abstract works explore the poetic potential of the everyday by imagining and expressing the vast range of emotions embedded in the mundane objects that surround us.
“Visual language became my way of expressing the world because the meaning of words is so imprecise and changeable,” Lopez said. “Clay’s malleability allows us to create soft and playful objects, offering endless possibilities.”
Representing a wide range of regions and media, USA Fellows are awarded through a peer-driven selection process in the fields of architecture and design, crafts, dance, film, media, music, theater and performance, traditional arts, visual arts, and writing. .
“As a potter, López’s work has contributed significantly to our contemporary understanding of the craft and broader visual arts landscape in the United States,” said Christopher Schulte, interim dean of the School of Fine Arts and endowed professor of art education. said. “This award not only recognizes López’s personal impact as an artist, but also highlights the quality and impact of our faculty.”
This year’s fellows are based in 22 states and Puerto Rico, and range in age from artists in their 20s to artists in their 80s. They include up-and-coming artists as well as artists with extensive careers in their fields, highlighting the importance of intergenerational dialogue and support for artists at every stage of their careers.
Connection with Arkansas
Notably, this year also marks the first time that USA has presented the award to two Arkansas-based artists: Lopez and theater director Holdo Sawaf, an alumnus of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.
USA Fellows are selected based on their innovative artistic vision, unique perspective in their field, and the clear potential for this award to have a significant impact on their practice and life.
“The Studio Art Program Area is honored to have Linda (Lopez) as a colleague,” said Studio Art Program Director and Art Professor Jeannie Hulen. “She is one of the most admired artists in the field of ceramics, both nationally and internationally, and her dedication to teaching, research, and service is outstanding.”
Learn more about Linda Nguyen Lopez
Lopez holds a BA and BA from California State University, Chico, and a master’s degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Fuller Museum of Crafts, the Springfield Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution’s Renwick Gallery, and other public and private collections. I am.
Her work has been exhibited in Italy, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and throughout the United States, including at the Craft Museum of Contemporary Art, Long Beach Museum of Art, David B. Smith Gallery, Mindy Solomon Gallery, and the Museum of Art and Design.
Lopez joined the former School of Fine Arts, now the School of Fine Arts, in 2012. She has served in various leadership roles within the school over the past 11 years, helping to build the U of A’s ceramics program.
She currently serves as the Foundation’s Program Director and is gaining experience as a first-year art education, graphic design, and studio art major at the School of Fine Arts. She leads the Foundation’s faculty and works with students to develop strong connections with her peers, develop effective work habits, learn how to ask complex questions, and learn about art and design. All formal principles are touched upon.
About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas’ flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the University of A adds to the Arkansas economy through the education of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and employment development, discovery through research and creative activities, while providing training in specialized fields. has contributed more than $2.2 billion. The Carnegie Foundation classifies U of A as one of the few universities in the United States with the highest level of research activity. US News & World Report We rank the U of A among the top public universities in the country. Find out how the U of A is working to build a better world with Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.
