MOFSA’s 2020 Spiritual Art Grant has been awarded to Martin Dunn, who is receiving a grant of $10,000. Congratulations, Martin! We are also inviting four other artists, each of whom will receive an award of $500:
- Joseph Bellofatto
- Mia Bosna
- Joanna Gould
- Jennifer Printz
Congratulations!
Joseph Bellofatto
Joseph Bellofatto is a fine artist who works primarily in oils and graphite. A member of Oil Painters of America and the International Guild of Realism, his work has been selected to be included in regional and national exhibitions. Describing himself as a storyteller artist, he takes inspiration from myths and legends, heroes and heroines, fairytales and adventures—that which may have been and then might possibly be. It is his hope that art will once again take its role as the purveyor of truth and beauty, believing that the narratives in such art can affect people more directly than a scholarly lecture or scientific understanding into the structures of the cosmos. Bellofatto’s website is www.storytellerartist.com.
Mia Bosna
Mia Bosna’s Photo Illustrations create a bridge to an alternate world of dreamtime. She invites the viewer to sense the sacred through abstracted figurative images created from photos of exploded truck tires. Her artwork is influenced by the study of Shamanism and from the inspirations of nature and Buddhism. Mia attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and Tyler School of Art in Rome where she studied Illustration and Printmaking. She currently works out of her home studio in Graham, North Carolina as an Illustrator and painter of personalized portraits. Bosna’s website is https://zenassemblage.com.
Joanna Gould
Joanna Gould is an American painter working in the ancient wax encaustic technique. Fusing oil pigments and found objects with layers of translucent beeswax and damar resin, her works of art have been described as dreamlike and mystical with a purest light. Highly influenced by place, the abstract landscapes of her paintings are a representation of the human spirit merging with earthly environments. Gould’s website is http://www.joannagould.wix.com/encaustic.
Jennifer Printz
In her studio practice, Jennifer Printz gravitates towards meditative processes most recently focusing on mixed media work made with a gentle and deliberate mark making that create an intrinsic presence within her work. Printz’ art has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the United States and abroad and has been included in publications as diverse as Tricycle and The Carolina Quarterly. She has been awarded artist residencies at locations such as the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. Printz received her MFA from The University of Georgia, has been an active arts leader in a variety of professional organizations and currently teaches drawing at Florida International University in Miami. Printz’s website is www.jenniferprintz.com.