Alumni Exhibition & Awards

2024 Alumni Biennial Juried Exhibition

The Galleries at Moore is pleased to present the 2024 Alumni Biennial Juried Exhibition, on view June 15 to August 30, 2024.

Key Dates

Submissions Open | March 4
Submissions Close | April 8
Notification of Selection | Early May
Work to Gallery | May 20 – 24 and May 28 – 30 
Opening Reception  |  June 14
Exhibition on View | June 15 – August 30 (closed for Labor Day weekend)
Closing Reception & Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony | August 23
Pick Up Work | September 5 – 6 and September 9 – 12

Meet Our Juror

Ann Hawkins pursued her passion for graphic design at Carnegie Mellon University, where she received guidance from influential mentors like Arnold Bank, Hermann Zapf and Jack Stauffacher, refining her skills in calligraphy, letter design, and printing techniques.

While raising her two children, Ann's dedication to design never wavered. She deepened her expertise in calligraphy through classes with Sheila Waters and participation in workshops organized by the Washington Calligraphers Guild.

A turning point in Ann's career came when she studied under John Benson, whose endorsement opened doors to prestigious opportunities, including a commission at the National Gallery of Art. Her first project, carving Benson's layout for the Patron’s Inscription, marked the beginning of a three-decade journey shaping spaces like the Supreme Court, Library of Congress and National Cathedral with her distinctive lettering.

Ann's portfolio spans a breadth of projects, from memorial designs like the Japanese American and Korean Memorials to custom gravestones, showcasing her versatility and enduring commitment to her craft.

2024 Alumni Awards

The Alumni Exhibition Closing Ceremony honors and recognizes our Fitzgibbon Alumni Prize winner and Distinguished Alumni Award honorees.

Fitzgibbon Endowed Alumni Prize

The Fitzgibbon Endowed Alumni Prize was established in honor of Cecelia Fitzgibbon, who served as the 10th President of the College. Each year, Moore alumni are invited to submit an original essay or poem in response to the prompt, “What Moore means to me," to be eligible for a cash prize of up to $5,000. This year’s recipient is invited to share their winning essay during the Alumni Exhibition Closing Reception & Award Ceremony on Friday, August 23, 2024.

Eligibility

• All Moore alumni are invited to submit an essay or poem.
• Submissions must address the prompt “What Moore means to me.” Essays should not exceed 750 words and poems should not exceed one single-spaced page.
• All entries must be received on or before 11:59 pm EST, Tuesday, April 30.

Key Dates

Submissions Open | April 8
Submissions Close | April 30
Notification of Selection | Mid-July
Closing Reception & Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony | August 23

Click here to submit your essay or poem.

2024 Fitzgibbon Prize Winner

Sunnylee Mowery ’14 (Art Education with an Emphasis in Special Populations) has taught for over 15 years in public, community, and Montessori school settings. She is the author of The Element of Choice: Choice-Based Art Education in a Functional Skills Classroom, a thesis that describes her work designing a tiered choice art curriculum for students with moderate to severe physical and cognitive disabilities. For the past decade, she has taught at the School District of Philadelphia’s prestigious Albert M. Greenfield School where she was recently bestowed a Philly AIMS Award (2023) from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine for exemplary inclusive practices in her classroom. She has been a presenter at The Kennedy Center’s Turnaround Arts Initiative and has served as secretary on the board of the Pennsylvania Art Education Association (2013-2015). At present, she is conducting research on how traditional 19th century methods of ambidextrous, decorative, and observational drawing can benefit contemporary elementary students.

Distinguished Alumni Awards

The Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize the professional achievements of Moore alumni, their commitment to the College, and their accomplishments in the field of visual arts.

Selection Criteria

In selecting award recipients, the following criteria are ranked on a scale of 1 to 5 by the selection committee:

• The nominee must have demonstrated and been recognized for significant professional accomplishments in their chosen field.
• The nominee must show participation in civic and service groups for the betterment of their community.
• The nominee must have helped advance the mission of the College by actively participating in initiatives that promote creative expression, entrepreneurial spirit, and community engagement.

Nomination Procedure

Nominations must be made and signed by an alum and include the following:

• Contact Information: Please include your name, title, address, phone, and e-mail along with the contact information for the nominee.
• Descriptive Report: A detailed report describing the nominee's contributions, as outlined in the selection criteria. This report should not exceed 750 words and should provide a comprehensive overview of the nominee's achievements, highlighting their alignment with Moore’s mission.
• Supporting Documents: Please include three supporting documents, such as letters of support from colleagues or community leaders, press releases, or news articles. These documents should further substantiate the nominee's contributions and provide additional context for their impact within the Moore community and beyond.
• Deadline: All nominations must be received on or before 11:59 pm EST, Tuesday, April 30.

Key Dates

Submissions Open | April 8
Submissions Close | April 30
Notification of Selection | Mid-July
Closing Reception & Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony | August 23

Click here to submit your nomination.

2024 Distinguished Alumni Award Honorees

Michelle Angela Ortiz ’00 (Fine Arts) is a visual artist, muralist, community arts educator, and filmmaker who uses her art as a vehicle to represent people and communities whose histories are often lost or co-opted. 
 
For 25 years, Ortiz has designed and created over 50 large-scale public works nationally and internationally. Since 2008, Ortiz has led art for social change public art projects in Costa Rica & Ecuador and as a Cultural Envoy through the US Embassy in Fiji, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Venezuela, Honduras, and Cuba. In the Cultural Envoy residencies, she develops an in-depth curriculum that sets a structure on how the community is engaged and a work plan for the implementation of the public art project. Ortiz has exhibited her works in many galleries and museums that include the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the ICA Boston. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, and The New Yorker. She continues to explore other methods of creating public artwork through digital and traveling murals, site-specific installations, interactive exhibitions, and documentaries.

Ortiz is a Leeway Foundation Media Resident Artist, Art is Essential Grantee, an Art For Justice Fund Grantee, a Pew Fellow, Rauschenberg Foundation Artist as Activist Fellow, and a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist National Fellow. In 2016, she received the Americans for the Arts' Public Art Year in Review Award which honors outstanding public art projects in the nation. She is a board member of Monument Lab, a nonprofit public art and history studio that works with artists, students, educators, activists, municipal agencies, and cultural institutions on participatory approaches to public engagement and collective memory.

Christina Gorman ’92 (Fashion Design) has been designing women’s clothing in New York City for over 30 years, working on everything from high-end designer collections to diffusion lines available at mass retailers. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with renowned designers such as Vera Wang, Isaac Mizrahi, and Elie Tahari, as well as icons like Christie Brinkley and Selma Blair, with whom she recently created an adaptive fashion line. She thrives on the challenge of crafting designs across various price points that make women feel confident and beautiful.

As the Senior Vice President of Design for Interactive Television at Xcel Brand Group, she leads the design for Isaac Mizrahi’s QVC Collection and develops new concepts, initiatives, and brands for various shopping channels. She finds joy in mentoring young designers and drawing inspiration from them. Even after decades in the industry, she continues to learn and discover new approaches to fashion, with a current focus on sustainability to ensure great style while preserving the planet.