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Two faculty members in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Department of Art have been named recipients of the 2011 New York State Council on the Arts’ (NYSCA) Artist Fellowship Program by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). NYFA named 120 fellows and finalists from a pool of 3,692 applicants in five categories.

Dusty Herbig, assistant professor of printmaking, was named a fellow in the printmaking/drawing/book arts category. Sam Van Aken, associate professor of sculpture, was named a finalist in the crafts/sculpture category. Each fellow receives a $7,000 unrestricted cash grant; finalists do not receive a cash award but participate in various career enhancement opportunities.

“The NYFA Fellowship awards represent to the New York State artist community a huge validation of their dedicated art practices,” says NYSCA Council Member Danny Simmons. “These awards to these great artists from around the state help in more ways than just financial support—they also propel these recipients to new levels of recognition in their careers.”

This year, NYFA helped the recipients expand their professional networks by holding a special reception on July 8 at the Bubble Lounge in Tribeca, New York City, to introduce fellows and finalists to industry professionals.

NYFA was founded in 1971 to empower artists at critical stages in their creative lives. Each year it provides more than $1 million in cash grants to individuals and small organizations. Now in its 26th year, the Artist Fellowship Program has awarded more than $26 million to more than 4,300 artists.