2013 Maine Artist Fellows
The Maine Arts Commission’s Fellowships reward artistic excellence, advance the careers of Maine artists, and promote public awareness of the strength and distinction of Maine’s creative sector. Awards are made solely on the basis of artistic excellence. Due to the competitiveness of the Individual Artist Fellowship program and to avoid conflicts of interest, all jurors selected for the program reside outside Maine. The 5 Fellows for 2013 are featured below.
Meet the 2013 Fellows
Literary Arts Fellow
Jessica Anthony
Jessica Anthony of Portland earned a B.A. in English from Bates College and an M.A. in Fine Arts and Fiction from George Mason University, where she received the Fiction Thesis Fellowship Prize.
Her first novel, The Convalescent, received the inaugural McSweeney’s Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award.
Additional honors included winning the Summer Literary Seminars fiction contest and residencies at the MacDowell Colony, Millay Colony, Ucross Foundation, and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.
Visual Arts Fellow
Anna Hepler
Anna Hepler of Eastport earned a B.A. from Oberlin College and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
She began her artistic investigation through printmaking, and that aesthetic sensibility remained present as she explored other media.
Her work entered collections and exhibitions at institutions including the National Gallery of Art, Tate, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and Portland Museum of Art.
Traditional Arts Fellow
Bill Mackowski
Bill Mackowski of Milford graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in Wildlife Biology and Ecology.
His work focused on ash pack baskets, fishing creels, and snowshoes, and his experience also included commercial fishing, farming, trapping, and bush piloting.
Bill has been active in land conservation and served the Downeast Lakes Land Trust in several capacities.
Media and Performing Arts Fellow
Cecily Pingree
Cecily Pingree of North Haven is a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer whose work focuses on political and social issues.
Her projects included work for The New York Times, National Geographic, and the Gates Foundation.
Her work received support and recognition from the Sundance Institute, Chicken & Egg Pictures, LEF Foundation, IFP, Maine Arts Commission, and Maine Community Foundation.
Functional Craft Fellow
Ellen Wieske
Ellen Wieske of Deer Isle earned a B.A. from Wayne State University and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art.
A working metalsmith and teacher for more than 23 years, Ellen maintains a studio on Deer Isle.
Her wire workshop techniques were documented in the Lark Books publication Weekend Crafter: Wire.
Maine Artist Fellows by Year
View current and past Maine Artist Fellows by calendar year. New Fellows begin their fellowship term at the start of each calendar year.