Past Winners, 2020

‘Resilience,’ by Quinn Long, highlights the #blacklivesmatter movement. Made in 2020, it is a reflection and tribute to those who have been, and continue to be, repeatedly disenfranchised but continue to persevere and resist in the face of opposition. Almost an embodiment of the tumultuous and uncertain point in history we are currently in, Quinn utilizes digital art software to create trancedently powerful images such as ‘Resilience.’

Quinn is a rising junior in the Tufts/SMFA Combined Degree Program and aspiring illustrator. In her words, with her work she aims to “reflect how I view and interact with the world around me and hopefully, touch people’s hearts with their presentation.” She enjoys creating digital paintings that cultivate a sense of traditionalism in their usage of “impressionistic strokes and textures.” Quinn’s work generally places human figures in vulnerable positions, often in landscapes that have an aura of abstraction and odd familiarity.

“#blacklivesmatter today, and always — this illustration titled ‘Resilience’ is a tribute to the black people out there who never stop fighting despite being let down again and again by this country’s failing justice system. With it, I’m asking you all to never stop supporting the movement in any way you can, and I myself am committed to using my voice and my art to carry on with this long and strenuous battle.”

- Quinn Luong

‘Tics I,’ a sculpture of a Charles Spaniel clutching at its face with hand-like paws, by Wilamina Heifner, brings attention to the often overlooked issue of mental health during the era of COVID-19. Anxiety and mental health is just as important to maintain, nurture, and understand, as physical health, in a time where our daily routines and social lives have been abruptly disrupted. In ‘Tics I,’ Wilamina offers an opening for the often difficult conversation of mental health and in doing so she reminds us that we are not alone.

Wilamina is a student at Tufts University. She sees her work as an “exploration of the human condition: wonder and heartache. Mental health, and my experience with it, has been a place of research and inspiration.” Wilamina sees the human mind as something to be cherished, yet finds that one’s mind can be lacking with regards to self-reflection and awareness; an issue she plays with through her anthropomorphic sculptures.

Using strategic personification in the context of tales from authors like Jan Brett, Aesop, and William Steig, she hopes to address the concerns of the moment, whatever they may be.

“‘So many of us are struggling with anxiety in this moment. I’ve found the tics from my own social anxiety have been extra present recently. This piece was created to open the door for conversations that will begin breaking down the stigma surrounding some of the physical symptoms of anxiety.”

- Wilamina Heifner

‘Forecast,’ by Claire Valentine brings attention to the state of female autonomy in a reference to mysticism. In this piece, two women sit across from each other reading tarot cards. Together, these cards are a rebuking of the traditional cult of domesticity and patriarchy that continues to dictate the lives of women around the world today. Instead, it is an embracing and celebration of female strength.

Claire Valentine is an emerging artist working in Boston and Maine. She currently studies at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston, where she is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts. Her work largely explores feminine spirituality and what qualifies as a holy body by placing trademarks of Catholicism in conversation with symbology adopted from alternative spiritualities. She also has a distinct interest of the languages of flowers and plants, particularly as they relate to divinity and medicine. Her images synthesize these components into meditations on love, female friendship, religion, and spiritual empowerment.

"Forecast" features three tarot cards - the Queen of Swords, the High Priestess, and the Hierophant reversed - in the hands of two neo-saint-like figures. Combined, these cards are a declaration of women reclaiming their autonomy, sexual and otherwise, returning to magic and mysticism, and by doing so, overturning the powers that be and their expectations of purity and docility in favor of a recognition and celebration of their own strength, whatever form that may take.”

- Claire Valentine