IMAGE: (L-R) Nicholas Rupert, Gabby Fuller, Savannah Hard, Amy Dalrymple, David Shim

As the profile of the arts at UVA continues to grow, the UVA Arts Council has announced an annual awards program that will recognize outstanding students in five arts disciplines (music, studio art, dance, drama, and architecture) at the University with at $2,000 prize. The Inaugural UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Awards program, spearheaded by Tim Michel (Arch ’76) and whole-heartedly approved by the entire Council, was created to celebrate an undergraduate’s achievement in the Arts, and to provide a new vehicle for faculty to publicly acknowledge their outstanding students. The awards are intended for rising fourth-year students, and nominees are selected by department chairs, based on criteria including superior execution of the art form, a deep understanding of the subject matter and artistic process, and originality and creativity. The inaugural winners were:

Savannah Hard: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Drama (2018)

The Department of Drama is delighted to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award to Savannah Hard.  A fourth-year drama major, Savannah is a superbly talented and exceptionally motivated member of the theatre community at UVA.  Her playwriting earns high praise, and two of her original works have already been performed at the university, Eggs and White Zinfandel.  Her work in performance is equally impressive.  She will shortly appear in the role of #46 in the department’s production of The Wolves, and in last season’s production of Urinetown she served as Assistant Stage Manager—though really, as one faculty member describes it, her roles also included “acting stage manager, stand-in actor, stand-in singer, cast wrangler, organizer, shoulder-to-cry-on, first one there and last one to leave”!  She also serves as President of the Virginia Players, a student organization she has revitalized in order to support the efforts of theatre-makers all over Grounds.  Whatever the project, she works tirelessly to create a positive, collaborative environment and takes every opportunity to learn and experiment.  Savannah Hard is a student, colleague, and artist of the highest integrity.

Amy Dalrymple: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance (2018)

The Dance Program is extremely pleased to be able to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance to Amy Dalrymple. During her time at UVA, Ms. Dalrymple has consistently challenged herself and taken risks on various projects in multiple areas: as a performer, choreographer, and engaged artist-citizen. As a lead research assistant for Reinterpreting Pollock’s Branch Watershed, an interdisciplinary research project at the intersection of landscape architecture, dance, and community mapping, Ms. Dalrymple enthusiastically versed herself in the historical significance of Anna and Lawrence Halprin’s creative processes to better understand the successes and failures of post-urban renewal Charlottesville. Ms. Dalrymple was instrumental in helping to organize the community movement and mapping workshops at Clark Elementary, Walkable Watershed, and JABA’s Mary Williams Senior Center where she won quick favor with members.  Her kindness, knowledge of ethical community practices, and passion served as an inspiration for her research assistant peers. Ms. Dalrymple’s dedication to the project was felt and deeply appreciated by the entire team. She often brought questions to the table that reminded us all of the importance of the body in the desire for more democratic spaces. We have no doubt that these strengths and sensitivities will continue to inform her future work and career trajectory.

Gabby Fuller: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Studio Art (2018)

Gabby Fuller is an exceptional young artist.  A student of both studio practice and art history, Gabby’s interest in making things at UVA was first piqued by animation.  Skilled in frame by frame and digital practices, she began with bright renderings of animals and fantastical creatures in her early new media classes. As her awareness of both art history and contemporary social conditions has grown, she has begun to venture into riskier territory. Her more recent interests acknowledge her bi-racial heritage through thoughtful engagement with issues around African-American identity and the history of African Americans at UVA (her father is a UVA graduate).  Her work in the coming year as an honors student in studio art promises to break new ground as she sets out to track down and document her uncle’s square on the once prominent AIDS quilt.  She is up for the challenge of moving into the intellectual territory of conceptual art, which speaks not to a lack of artistic talent but an abundance of it.  We are excited to see where she goes.

Nicholas Rupert: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Music (2018)

Nick Rupert is an outstanding cellist, greatly admired by his cello teacher and many who know him at UVA. He is a well-rounded musician, strong in technical matters such as intonation, rhythm, and tone; emotionally expressive; and confident, with good stage presence. During his fourth year here, he is participating in the Performance Concentration, which will give him a performance credential beyond the standard music major. He is also preparing a Distinguished Major recital to be given in his last semester. In addition to solo performance, he has been active in the Charlottesville Symphony and in chamber music. As well, he is an outstanding student in academic music classes, where his engagement and enthusiasm enhance the experience of everyone in the classroom.

David Shim: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture (2018)

David Shim demonstrates a noteworthy combination of exceptional design talent, strong work ethic, and an easy-going personable character. He transferred to the School of Architecture from the University at-large and quickly was able to excel and exhibit tremendous growth as a designer. He is ambitious, extremely interested in design, is eager to learn, experiment and grow. He shows impressive attention to detail in both technical and aesthetic design decisions, with a strong graphic sensibility through a wide range of techniques. In a studio and review setting, he has also demonstrated clear and confident verbal presentations. The combination of the strength of his design proposals and his ability to communicate his approach both verbally and visually indicates the potential for an excellent future as a designer. David Shim also holds the top GPA in his class at 3.899, reflecting on his success overall as a student in the Architecture Pre-Professional Program. The School of Architecture is extremely proud to be able to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture to David Shim.