SDSU Art Senior Wins $15,000 Windgate
Fellowship Award

Winning Jewelery and Metalwork to be Displayed
during May 8-11 Exhibition

Contact: Gina Speciale
SDSU Marketing & Communications
Tel: (619) 594-4563 office; (619) 813-3581 cell
speciale@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO – (Wednesday, April 26, 2006) – San Diego State University senior Rachelle Lim wields a hammer, torch and pliers like a pro. But she’s not using these heavy-duty tools to construct machinery or buildings. Instead Lim skillfully uses them to forge self-expression and social commentary in the form of jewelry and body adornment.

Now, she is being recognized with a $15,000 fellowship from the Windgate Foundation, a new award administered by the University of North Carolina’s Center for Craft, Creativity and Design to support promising young artists. Lim’s group of winning pieces focuses on subjects such as the female body and Lim’s own heritage.

“I want to begin a deeper, more personal exploration of my own self-identity and what it means to me to be a Chinese-American female,” said Lim, who will graduate next month with a bachelor’s of arts degree in art, with a focus on applied design in metal.

One of Lim’s most striking pieces is “Restrictive Neckpiece.” Made of sterling silver, velvet and patina, the piece encircles the neck in a stretched position and restricts the wearer from speaking. The “Restrictive Neckpiece” alludes to the female’s restricted role in society and suggests that beauty can be repressive.

“It’s meant to embody the idea of ‘beauty versus torture,’” Lim said. “And if you put it on, it really does cause pain when you speak.”

Lim’s work isn’t always so provocative. Other pieces, such as “Articulated Neckpiece” show a softer side. Its coiled and twined copper wire is enameled, etched and patinated to create clusters of pods that symbolize the beauty of nature and its fertility.

Helen Shirk, head of SDSU’s jewelry and metalwork program, said Lim has worked intelligently and steadily to develop her own unique artistic voice.
“The technical expertise Rachelle has built through disciplined practice and experimentation allows her to convey her ideas in materials and formats that are the most expressive and appropriate to her purpose,” said Shirk, who nominated Lim for the fellowship. “It is very gratifying to see the dedicated efforts of a student like Rachelle rewarded in such a tangible and useful way.”

An exhibition of Lim’s work will be on display at the Flor y Canto Gallery in the School of Art, Design and Art History on the SDSU Campus May 8-11. The event is free and open to the public. An opening reception with Lim and fellow graduating metalsmith Ayuko Izumi, will be held on Saturday, May 6, from 6-9 p.m.

Lim plans to use the fellowship to continue pursuing her interest in her Chinese-American heritage through art. She hopes to travel to Chinese-American museums across the country, to conduct research, and pursue additional technical training. She also plans to use some of the funding to build her own studio.

The Windgate Fellowship is a three-year pilot program administered by the UNC Center for Craft, Creativity and Design. Applications from graduating seniors and fifth-year students, nominated by 53 universities nationwide, were reviewed by a panel of experts in the arts. Ten students received the award on the basis of artistic merit, the future promise of the individuals work and potential for the applicant to make a contribution to the advancement of their field. The program is open to students with a focus in book arts, ceramics, design, drawing, fiber, glass, metals mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, textiles or wood. For more information on the fellowships, visit www.craftcreativitydesign.org.

SDSU’s School of Art, Design and Art History offers a bachelor’s, master’s and master of fine arts degrees in the visual arts. While focused on the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary art practice, the school includes concentrations in art (ceramics, furniture, metals, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, textiles), design (graphic design, interior design, multimedia), and art history (nineteenth century, modern and contemporary western art, Asian art and history of museums). The school is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

SDSU is the oldest and largest institution of higher education in the San Diego region. Founded in 1897, SDSU offers bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 72 and doctorates in 16. SDSU’s nearly 33,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct faculty contact and an increasingly international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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