Five art teachers from around Mississippi are the latest recipients of art supply grants from the Community Foundation for Mississippi’s Friends of Andrew Bucci Fund, which was created to honor the memory of Andrew Bucci (1922-2014), one of Mississippi’s most celebrated and prolific visual artists.
This is the second 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. This year’s recipients are:
Tracy Vainisi, New Albany Middle School in New Albany, Miss.
Project: Design postage stamps based on Andrew Bucci’s 1967 Mississippi sesquicentennial anniversary stamp and create oil paintings based on Bucci abstracts.
Lydia Denise Herd, McLaurin High School in Florence, Miss.
Project: Create dance-inspired watercolors for art installation, “The Beauty of Dance and Music Creating Harmony.”
Jean Benoit, St. Patrick High School in Biloxi, Miss.
Project: Create canvas mural panels for school hallways inspired by Andrew Bucci’s landscape of Vicksburg in the style of Chinese calligraphy and collage work.
Brittany Garner, Winston Academy (K-6) in Louisville, Miss.
Project: Recreate Andrew Bucci landscapes using multi-media materials.
Alexandra McClain, Richland High School in Richland, Miss.
Project: Provide materials for a 2025 summer camp for ceramics students, with glazes inspired by Andrew Bucci artwork.
“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. “It’s an honor to help today’s art teachers inspire new generations of artists by making sure they have art supplies to create enriching learning experiences for their 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.
“It energizes me to know that my project is supported by Andrew Bucci’s legacy and the Community Foundation for Mississippi,” said Alexandra McClain, a grantee this year from Richland High School. “I teach at a Title 1 school where many of my students don’t have access to pursue the arts beyond what is offered by the school. This grant will provide an opportunity for my ceramics students to further develop their clay skills.”
A grant to Jean Benoit and St. Patrick High School will not only teach students about Bucci’s work, but it will also help beautify the school through canvas murals. “While my school has always been supportive of the arts, money has also always been limited. With this grant from the Friends of Andrew Bucci Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi, I can now afford paints, drawing tablets and other supplies that will support my talented students,” she said.
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.