University of Alabama book arts program receives $4M grant
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The University of Alabama got a nice surprise this summer as an investment from the Windgate Foundation got larger than first expected.
The university’s book arts program is receiving a $4 million grant to expand scholarships for grad students. The funds are quadruple what the foundation originally invested in the program.
“We have a very strong reputation nationwide and are the longest-running book arts MFA program in the country. We have alumni in incredibly important positions across the United States, many of whom were Windgate Fellows. Being able to reliably fund these artists and scholars who want to study at Alabama is huge for us.”
Sarah Bryant, director of the book arts program
Alabama’s book arts program expanding
Book arts combines creativity and craftsmanship, blending traditional practice with contemporary fine art. UA’s program has expanded in recent years to include an undergraduate minor and an in-person and online graduate certificate.
The new grant, which is combined with existing funds, will be used to:
- Supplement Windgate fellowships
- Create new opportunities for graduate assistantships
- Provide targeted scholarship support
- Fund studio equipment upgrades
The book arts MFA is a 60-credit-hour program in fine arts and traditional practices of making books by hand. Students also advocate for literacy and book history through collaborative outreach projects including:
- BookStock, formerly the West Alabama Literacy Festival
- Kentuck Arts Center
- Papermaking workshops in Tuscaloosa
- Literacy projects with juvenile detention facilities
“From my perspective, in a world moving toward AI, I find more value in things made by your hands. The humanness of it feels alive to me. It also shows students they can create something worth making.”
Erasmia Schirmer Devitt, a second-year MFA student studying book arts
How the Windgate Foundation supports students in Tuscaloosa
The Windgate Foundation, based in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a private foundation created in 1993 to advance contemporary craft and strengthen visual arts education in the United States.
“The financial support from Windgate has always been impactful, and the magnitude of this gift is going to make it even more so, reinvigorating those fellowships while being able to provide smaller support for other students in need.”
Anna Embree, the former director of the UA book arts program
Windgate has also provided additional funding to the university’s School of Library and Information Studies’ book arts program.
A year ago, the program moved from Gorgas Library to larger, newly renovated spaces in McLure Library, centralizing its materials, printing presses and papermaking facilities into one area.
