Miami art faculty members receive Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards

By Sophie Tran, news and communications intern

Miami art faculty members Andrew “Bernard” Au , Joseph Paushel and Dana Saulnier each received an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council board.

The awards are peer recognition of creative artists for the exceptional merit of a body of their work that advances or exemplifies the discipline and the larger artistic community. These awards support artists’ growth and development and recognize their work in Ohio and beyond.

Au, associate professor of art and humanities and creative arts at Miami University Middletown, was recognized in the visual art 2-D category. He received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Asbury College and a master’s degree in art-printmaking from the University of Cincinnati. He teaches foundation studies and maintains a studio with his wife in Cincinnati.

Paushel, visiting faculty in art, was recognized in the visual art 3-D category. He received a bachelor’s degree in sculpture and intermedia from West Virginia University and recently received his master’s degree in ceramics from Miami. He has exhibited across the United States and was awarded the Emerging Craftsman Award at the Ohio Craft Museum’s Best of 2015 exhibition.

Saulnier, professor of art, received his award in the visual art 2-D category. He earned a bachelor’s degree in painting from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in painting from Cornell University. He has exhibited his work throughout the United States and in Europe.

The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically. There were 77 Individual Excellence Awards approved out of 465 applications.