Fall 2019/Issue Eight
ALUMNI NEWS Meet The 2019/20 Artists In Residence Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute welcomes the 2019/20 Artists in Residence, Michael Hicks (Photography) and Janet Loren Hill (Painting and Drawing). Both were chosen after an international search to live, work, and teach on the MWPAI/PrattMWP campus for this academic year. Through installation and hybrid object-paintings, Janet magnifies fantasies, censorship, and feminist observations through portraiture. Originally from Wallawalla, Wash., she received her B.F.A. from the University of Washington in painting and drawing with an art history minor, and M.F.A. from Massachusetts College of Art & Design in 2D fine art. Recent residencies include Vermont Studio Center, Wassaic Project, and at the Beijing Royal School in China. Janet teaches PrattMWP freshman students in Light, Color, and Design during the Fall and Spring semesters and Painting Imagined Color to Community Arts Education students. Michael works as a casting director and location scout to capture in his photography what the inner self projects to the outside world. Born in Middletown, NJ, he received his B.A. in political science from Rutgers University and studied documentary photography and multimedia at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies before pursuing his M.F.A in photography at Syracuse University. Michael was the 2018 High Museum Purchase Award recipient. Michael teaches the PrattMWP sophomore course, Survey of Photography from 1839 to the Present and Digital Photography. He is also teaching the Community Arts Education class, Digital Photography: Portraits of People, which explores topics including approaching strangers, working with models, location scouting, and more to create engaging portraits of people.