Norwood Viviano ’95 wins Smithsonian award
Alfred University alumnus Norwood Viviano ’95, a member of the faculty in the Department of Visual and Media Arts (VMA) at Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, was named recipient of the Smithsonian Women’s Committee’s Delphi Award.
Viviano received the Delphi Award during the Smithsonian Craft Show, held in May in Washington, D.C., and had his work exhibited at the National Building Museum.
The award recognizes mid-career artists who demonstrate distinction, creativity and exceptional artistry in their work. The award selection committee noted Viviano's complex sculptures and installations that tell the story of worldwide climate and population changes.
Viviano earned a B.F.A. from Alfred University in 1995 and went on to earn his M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy. In his work, Viviano, an associate professor of sculpture and foundations and area coordinator for sculpture at Grand Valley State, explores how urbanization, industry and immigration shape personal and shared histories.
Grand Valley State University Press Release
One of Viviano’s works, “Recast,” is a series of kiln-cast glass sculptures that highlight the manufacturing history in several U.S. cities combined with their current architecture. Modern Detroit is cast on top of the cylinders of a V8 engine block and Pittsburgh is cast on top of a steel I-beam. Another, titled “Cities Underwater,” visualizes the dramatic loss of land predicted to occur in the next 500 years.
Viviano’s work can be found at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Corning Museum of Glass, DeYoung Museum and the Chrysler Museum of Art. He has received numerous awards and grants, including the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award and the Creative Glass Center of America Fellowship.