At the Institute of International Education's international awards dinner on September 21, IIE presented its Fritz Redlich Alumni Award to Fulbright alumnus Chuck Close, in recognition of his distinguished career as a world-renowned artist whose life and works have increased mutual understanding. Special guest Ann Stock, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, joined IIE in presenting the award.
After receiving his MFA from Yale, Mr. Close had a U.S. Department of State-sponsored Fulbright Fellowship to Austria in 1964-65, which enabled him to study art and visit artists who were working in Europe, gaining valuable international insight at the outset of his career. His highly innovative and creative works have made him one of the most important artists of our time, and his remarkable career is the subject of this year's acclaimed biography, "Chuck Close: Life."
In his acceptance remarks, Mr. Close spoke movingly about the impact of the Fulbright program in the world today and in his own life, calling it "probably the greatest gift I was ever given." He said, "I don't think anything in my experience put me in a position to become the artist that I am today - for whatever that is worth - than my experience in Austria...it became incredibly clear to me that you could celebrate differences while recognizing our common humanity."
Mr. Close is a visual artist noted for his highly inventive techniques used to paint the human face, and is best known for his large-scale, photo-based portrait paintings. He is also an accomplished printmaker and photographer whose work has been the subject of more than 200 solo exhibitions in more than 20 countries, including major retrospective exhibitions at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid and most recently at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has also participated in nearly 800 group exhibitions.
An award winning artist, Mr. Close was presented with the prestigious National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 2000. In 1988 Mr. Close was paralyzed following a rare spinal artery collapse, he continues to paint using a brush-holding device strapped to his wrist and forearm. Mr. Close studied at the University of Washington School of Art (B.A., 1962) and at the Yale University School of Art and Architecture (B.F.A., 1963; M.F.A., 1964), receiving honorary degrees from both of his alma maters as well as 20 other institutions. Close is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, has served on the board of many arts organizations and was recently appointed by President Obama to serve on The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.