Two AICA-USA Members Win Awards

Avis Berman (left) and Elisa Turner (right)

August 25, 2020

AICA-USA extends a heartfelt congratulations to members Avis Berman and Elisa Turner, who were recently awarded for their distinguished art writing.

Berman has received a Public Scholars Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to write the first biography of Roy Lichtenstein. The grant is one of 25 awarded this year to support nonfiction books in the humanities.

Berman says, “These grants are explicitly encouraging to independent scholars and others without academic affiliations, so I would urge AICA-USA members to consider applying. They are not as well-known as other fellowships, and I was unaware of them until [AICA-USA co-president] Judith Stein told me of their existence. The deadline for 2021 applications is in mid-December, but if you’re going for one, give yourself plenty of time before then. The website is difficult to understand and navigate. It may take a while before you realize how to upload everything properly.”

Turner has won first place in the 2020 Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Florida Sunshine State Awards in Criticism and Commentary for her regular art reviews for Artburst Miami.