Photos provided by the Community Foundation
ART HOUSES. Houses on Stilts, 45” x 62”, acrylic on canvas, 2009
Fife artist Jeremy Mangan is the winner of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation’s second annual Foundation of Art Award.
The $7,500 award recognizes artists for their talent and commitment to the creative community of Pierce County. It will also allow Mangan to create a commissioned art piece for the foundation, which will be unveiled in fall 2009.
Mangan describes the Pierce County art community as “Formidable, adventurous and up-and-coming,” and said as an artist, he is constantly searching for visually compelling moments.
“My current body of work is inspired in large part by building practices of the early American West, traditional Asian painting, and five years living in New York City,” said Mangan.
A committee of local art professionals nominated 12 visual artists currently living in Pierce County for the award. The annual program was established by the foundation to honor professional artists living and working in Pierce County. The foundation also funds the award.
“Thriving arts and culture are one of the key elements we have identified as necessary for our vision of a vibrant community,” said Rose Lincoln Hamilton, president and CEO of the foundation. “In addition to being one of the top up and coming artists in Pierce County, Jeremy is a great representative for the art community.”
Mangan currently lives in Fife, and is working part-time for the Tacoma Art Museum as a contracted art handler. He recently returned to the area after living in New York, where he received a masters of fine arts degree in painting from Hunter College, City University of New York. While in New York, Mangan also worked as the principal ice sculptor for Okamoto Studio, in addition to his painting and exhibits.
Among his most impressive achievements, Mangan was recently selected as the featured artist at The Congressional Club’s First Lady’s Luncheon. He was invited by the family of Congressman Dave Reichert to create a painting to represent Washington and to honor First Lady Michelle Obama, in Washington, D.C. in April.
Mangan’s philosophy highlights the significance of community, which he said makes his work “worth doing.” As for the future of art in Pierce County, he remains open and optimistic.
“It’s growing and growing stronger,” said Mangan. “There’s lots of potential here and many talented and dedicated people are taking advantage of it.”
To view more of Mangan’s work, visit the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation online gallery at, http://www.gtcf.org/artgallery.
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