The Vermont Arts Council selected John Willis to receive the 2018 Ellen McCulloch-Lovell Award in Arts Education.
McCulloch-Lovell presented the award to Willis during a ceremony on Nov. 14 at the Vermont Statehouse. The award is given annually to a Vermont resident whose work has substantially improved student engagement in and knowledge of the arts and who has received significant professional recognition.
In presenting the award, McCulloch-Lovell cited Willis' role as a professor of photography at Marlboro College, where he created the photography program.
“His teaching is motivated by the model of community-based learning. He expects students to look at their world and guides them, as he says, 'to be their own creative force.' His attention to both technique and content drive his method. He sees photography 'as means of expression, not an end in itself.'”
McCulloch-Lovell also mentioned the In-Sight Photography Project, which Willis co-founded in 1992 to offer free photo courses to young people ages 11 to 18.
“I honor John's artistry and his continued drive to bring out the best in his students, so that they value themselves and their work,” McCulloch-Lovell said. “His complete dedication, intense energy, and total integrity are unmatched.”
Willis' photography is included in numerous permanent collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and the National Museum of Native Americans. He has published two books: Recycled Realities and Views from the Reservation.