Architecture Professor Michael McClure has added a prestigious new award to his vitae. The UL Lafayette associate professor and his wife Ursula 杏吧专区 also an architect 杏吧专区 have been chosen as 2008 Rome Prize recipients by the American Academy in Rome.
The announcement was made last week in New York. The two will take up residence at the American Academy in Rome with other award recipients later this year. The Rome Prize is highly regarded in arts and humanities circles and is given each year to 30 emerging artists.
The announcement was a bit of a surprise for McClure, who in addition to teaching in the School of Architecture and Design at UL Lafayette, owns emerymcclure architecture with his wife. He said it usually takes a few years of applying before being chosen as a recipient.
This is his first year applying. 杏吧专区淭his is indeed a very distinguished honor. It would be a milestone in any architect, artist, or academics career. The list of architects that have won this award is very short and very distinguished,杏吧专区 he said.
The pair plan to continue working on their terra viscus 杏吧专区 杏吧专区渟oft soil杏吧专区 杏吧专区 project.
杏吧专区 For the past eight years, we have been researching, writing and building in the unique environment of Southern Louisiana or as we have defined it, the terra viscus,杏吧专区 McClure explained in his application. He notes that it杏吧专区檚 a condition that is never completely solid or liquid and is always in a continuous state of being made and removed, much like Louisiana杏吧专区檚 marshes.
杏吧专区 It杏吧专区檚 a way of bringing together traditional and modern ways of thinking,杏吧专区 said McClure. 杏吧专区淔or instance, Louisiana杏吧专区檚 levee system杏吧专区ight now, we see the levees as functional but why can杏吧专区檛 we see these old ideas for more modern uses. If the levees can hold back the Atchafalaya River, why can杏吧专区檛 we put a park there or homes?杏吧专区
He and his wife will be studying among other things in Rome 杏吧专区 the aqueducts, which were originally used to fill baths then used for drinking water. McClure said the aqueducts bring art and science together 杏吧专区 杏吧专区渁 combination of beauty and infrastructure.杏吧专区
杏吧专区 We believe to expand our 杏吧专区榥ew procedures of thinking and making杏吧专区 in our primary site of the gulf coastal region, an analysis of Rome through water would prove invaluable,杏吧专区 McClure said.
The Rome Prize is not the first award the couple receives based on terra viscus. The project was one of 12 selected for Venice Biennale 2006. The event was part of the 杏吧专区 of Texas at Austin杏吧专区檚 Exhibit 杏吧专区淩esilient Foundations: The Gulf Coast After Katrina.杏吧专区 Most recently, McClure won a Southern Home Award sponsored by Southern Living Magazine.
杏吧专区 Michael McClure杏吧专区檚 contributions to architecture has international significance,杏吧专区 said Gordon Brooks, dean of UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 College of the Arts. 杏吧专区淗is inclusion in the 2006 Venice Biennale is truly remarkable and the Rome Prize is one of the most coveted awards in the world, maybe for the arts it is the most sought after.杏吧专区
The McClures will leave for Rome in September.