School of Art Assistant Professor of Print Media and Photography, J. Leigh Garcia, received the 2023 SGCI Emerging Printmaker Award on September 25, 2022.
The SGCI Emerging Printmaker Award is given to early-career artists who exhibit outstanding potential in their field of printmaking and excellence in their own creative work. Nominations must be SGCI members and must be accepted by the SGCI Awards Committee. The SGCI Awards Committee selects three finalists with a final vote from the SGCI membership. The recipient is invited to attend the annual conference and is presented with the award at the banquet ceremony. They are also featured at the conference as a panelist on the SGCI Awards Panel.
J. Leigh Garcia was born and raised in Dallas, TX. She received her M.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and B.F.A. from the University of North Texas. Inspired by her biracial ancestry, Garcia explores the complex relationship between Texans and Mexicans—particularly, the racialization and displacement of unauthorized Latinx immigrants. Garcia frequently collaborates with partners in the creation and exhibition of work such as Soñé una Milpa, We Are Women United Against Hate, and Resiliencia.
Garcia received her M.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and B.F.A. from the University of North Texas. She has received numerous awards for her work including the New Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award from Kent State University, Gamblin Emerging Artist Award, and Arts Institute Sinaiko Frank Graduate Fellowship for a Woman in the Arts. Her work is included in over 15 permanent collections including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI; National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, IL; Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin, TX; Zuckerman Museum of Art, Kennesaw, GA; and Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University.