Architecture Professor Michael McClure has added a prestigious new award to his vitae. The UL Lafayette associate professor and his wife Ursula 小蝌蚪APP also an architect 小蝌蚪APP 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. 小蝌蚪APP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,小蝌蚪APP he said.
The pair plan to continue working on their terra viscus 小蝌蚪APP 小蝌蚪APP渟oft soil小蝌蚪APP 小蝌蚪APP project.
小蝌蚪APP 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,小蝌蚪APP McClure explained in his application. He notes that it小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP檚 marshes.
小蝌蚪APP It小蝌蚪APP檚 a way of bringing together traditional and modern ways of thinking,小蝌蚪APP said McClure. 小蝌蚪APP淔or instance, Louisiana小蝌蚪APP檚 levee system小蝌蚪APPight now, we see the levees as functional but why can小蝌蚪APP檛 we see these old ideas for more modern uses. If the levees can hold back the Atchafalaya River, why can小蝌蚪APP檛 we put a park there or homes?小蝌蚪APP
He and his wife will be studying among other things in Rome 小蝌蚪APP the aqueducts, which were originally used to fill baths then used for drinking water. McClure said the aqueducts bring art and science together 小蝌蚪APP 小蝌蚪APP渁 combination of beauty and infrastructure.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP We believe to expand our 小蝌蚪APP榥ew procedures of thinking and making小蝌蚪APP in our primary site of the gulf coastal region, an analysis of Rome through water would prove invaluable,小蝌蚪APP 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 小蝌蚪APP of Texas at Austin小蝌蚪APP檚 Exhibit 小蝌蚪APP淩esilient Foundations: The Gulf Coast After Katrina.小蝌蚪APP Most recently, McClure won a Southern Home Award sponsored by Southern Living Magazine.
小蝌蚪APP Michael McClure小蝌蚪APP檚 contributions to architecture has international significance,小蝌蚪APP said Gordon Brooks, dean of UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 College of the Arts. 小蝌蚪APP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.小蝌蚪APP
The McClures will leave for Rome in September.