Friday, March 21, 2003
McNaughton named 2003 Integra Bank
Distinguished Professor at USI
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A thoughtful and caring teacher who has inspired generations of students to excel in art is how a colleague describes this year’s Integra Bank Distinguished Professor John McNaughton, who has been a member of the University of Southern Indiana faculty since 1970. The award, announced in March during the Honors Program for the USI School of Liberal Arts, will be presented May 11 during USI’s Commencement. McNaughton served as chair of the Art Department in various intervals from 1972 to 1994. He has written original art curriculum, lobbied for better art facilities, hired faculty, and actively participated in the expansion of the art program. He has a national reputation for creative work. He is one of 100 international craft artists chosen to participate in the Emma Lake International Conference in Canada last year. His work was featured on the December/January 1998 American Craft magazine cover. He is the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Fellowships in a category considered one of the most competitive grant categories among the NEA grants. In 1993 he was one of 10 American craft artists selected by the NEA to travel and lecture in Mexico. His original art has been exhibited extensively throughout the United States, including being part of the Smithsonian’s permanent collection. His art, highly collectible, resides in over 300 museum, corporate, and private collections. He has shared his expertise with the Evansville Museum of Arts & Science, the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, and high schools and elementary schools in the Tri State. And he has created eight public sculptures for the Evansville community. Through student-faculty research grants, McNaughton has led teams of students to complete art that is on permanent display throughout campus. A wood sculpture called “Visions” hangs in the lobby of the Orr Center. Among others are a series of pieces created for the opening of the Liberal Arts Center, and a 10-foot-high steel sculpture that welcomes residents to Governors Hall. Commenting on the creation of such work, McNaughton said, “College experience should be a laboratory of creative thought.” McNaughton completed his undergraduate work at Ball State University and earned master’s degrees in sculpture from Bowling Green State University and Ball State University. The Distinguished Professor Award is made possible by a generous gift from Integra Bank. As Distinguished Professor, McNaughton will receive a grant from Integra Bank, select a student to receive a scholarship in his name, and deliver the Distinguished Professor lecture during the next academic year. The award recipient is chosen by faculty colleagues. |
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