Rockport, Maine — Maine Media, a leading educational institution in the field of visual arts, has named the esteemed artist and writer Cig Harvey as this year’s Visionary Award recipient. The award comes on the occasion of the institution’s 50th Anniversary, and is conceived to identify and celebrate extraordinary contributions to the field.
“It is such a privilege to acknowledge Cig with Maine Media’s Visionary Award,” states Maine Media President Michael Mansfield. “She is a profoundly inspirational photographer and artist, and has ignited so many conversations here around pictures and words, and the sensations of human expression. As we mark Maine Media’s 50th Anniversary, there is no person more deserving of this recognition.”
In addition to her work as an artist and as a mentor, Cig Harvey has been both a student and a past board member at Maine Media, playing pivotal roles in shaping the institution’s vision and direction. Her work is represented in public and private collections, including the Library of Congress, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the George Eastman House, among others. She has published 5 books of images and poetry, and has been recognized with the Prix Virginia Laureate in France, and the Farnsworth Art Museum’s Maine in America Award. Her 2022 book Eat Flowers (published by Two Ponds Press) won the Fine Press Book Associations Judge’s Choice Award for Best Book in Show at the Manhattan Fine Press Book Fair.
Liv Rockefeller, member of Maine Media’s Board of Directors, added, “Cig Harvey has been a champion of the school that fostered her growth, dedicating herself as an inspired teacher, a guiding board member, a tireless fundraiser, an unwavering cheerleader and a creative collaborator. She also happens to be a spectacular human being. I cannot think of a more worthy recipient of the Maine Media Visionary Award in our historic 50th year!”
Maine Media’s Visionary Award recognizes and celebrates extraordinary contributions to the fields of visual, media and literary arts. Past recipients include noted photographer Joyce Tenneson and the artist and critic Teju Cole. Tenneson was the recipient in 2019, the award’s inaugural year. Cole accepted the biennial award in 2021.
Maine Media will host a screening and public discussion with Cig Harvey on Thursday, September 28th at the Strand Theater in Rockland, Maine. The award itself will be presented at The Visionary Awards Dinner, scheduled for the evening of Saturday, September 30, 2023, at The Edge in Lincolnville, ME. The Visionary Awards Dinner will not only pay tribute to Cig Harvey, but also recognize the recipient of the Arnold Newman Prize, a distinguished accolade in photographic portraiture.
Maine Media encourages those interested in attending or sponsoring the Visionary Awards Dinner to contact Maine Media for further information. For more information about the Visionary Award, sponsorship opportunities and tickets for the Visionary Awards Dinner, please visit the Visionary Awards page.
