Volume CXXXIII, Number 1 September 12, 2003 f

"Dynamic" Bisbee receives unexpected regional accolade
GRACE CHO
ORIENT STAFF

Lecturer John Bisbee of the visual arts department has been awarded the prestigious Rappaport award from the Jerome Lyle Rappaport Charitable Foundation. He received the award for his independent sculpture work with welded nails and spikes.

John Bisbee, Lecturer in Art, watches as his students construct a sculpture in Smith Union. Bisbee was recently awarded the Jerome Lyle Rappaport award, the most prestigious New England art award. (Nancy Van Dyke, Bowdoin Orient)

The Rappaport award is an annual accolade given to a New England-based artist who has shown substantial potential, creativity, and vision within his or her art. As a part of his prize, Bisbee will receive $20,000 dollars.

Bisbee was "surprised and grateful" when he read in the Boston Globe that he had won the award in June.

He was not to be notified about the Rappaport until September. He hopes the award and the prize money will bring him new opportunities "to find different voices for creativity and to pursue artistic work with video in the coming months"-but that will be after he has a little fun.

"Well, after Mohegan Sun, I guess I'll buy new supplies and continue with the welding," he said.

Students who have taken classes from Bisbee have found his courses to be challenging but gratifying. They mention the satisfaction they feel after seeing a piece created by their own hands and creativity.

"We are privileged to have both an artist and teacher with such dynamic talent at Bowdoin," said former Bisbee student Audra Caler '05.

Mike Long '04 agrees, "He's a great professor who really cares about his students. He takes a unique approach to his courses and make the students think in different ways."

Bisbee, who has taught mainly sculpture courses at Bowdoin for seven years, has pieces of his work displayed around campus, including Druckenmiller Hall.

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