The Community Foundation for Mississippi is proud to announce the 2022 recipients of the Friends of Andrew Bucci Fund grant, Emily Murff of New Albany High School and Renna Moore-Edwards of Ida B. Wells Academic and Performing Arts Complex (APAC).
The Friends of Andrew Bucci Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi was created to honor the memory of the late Andrew Bucci, one of Mississippi’s most celebrated and prolific visual artists. This is the first year for the fund to grant awards, which help Mississippi public, parochial and private school art teachers acquire supplies that support visual arts instruction for grades PreK-12.
“Andrew Bucci always credited his early art teachers for recognizing and encouraging his talent, namely Mary Clare Sherwood in Vicksburg and Marie Hull in Jackson,” said Margaret Bucci, Bucci’s niece and manager of his estate. “To cultivate new generations of artists in Mississippi, it’s important to increase access to arts education and make sure teachers have the tools and resources they need to provide enriching learning experiences for students.”
Bucci says that choices were based on how applicants connected their projects to the artist’s artwork and his biography. Teachers were encouraged to use the website created for Andrew Bucci as resource material for their grant applications – something Bucci said shined through with many of the applications.
Emily Murff of New Albany High School will receive a $500 grant for materials to create a study of Andrew Bucci. Murff says the students will learn about Bucci as a Mississippi artist and compare his work to Matisse. After learning about Bucci’s background, students will create a Bucci-inspired abstract piece that will be displayed at the high school. Select student work will be displayed during the annual art show at the Union County Heritage Museum.
Renna Moore-Edwards of Wells APAC will receive a $500 grant for materials for a project titled “Repose and Movement.” This project will work with students on a two-part portraiture project inspired by the two extremes – life in repose and the movement of dance and theatre – in Bucci’s work.
Moore-Edwards said, “Having the opportunity with this grant will not only give our students the opportunity to work with higher quality supplies, but also let a new generation learn and be inspired by the work of Andrew Bucci. Many educators are influenced by the art lessons themselves learned while in school. I feel that the work of Bucci and his mark-making style could trickle down to future art classrooms and lead to yet another generation of student artists learning about Andrew Bucci.”
Members of the community are also encouraged to contribute to the Friends of Andrew Bucci Fund through CFM’s website. Gifts in memory of Bucci can be made here.