The juror for the University of Michigan Flint’s 2019-2020 Student Exhibition is none other than Tylonn J. Sawyer. Mr. Sawyer is an American figurative artist, educator, & curator living and working in Detroit, Michigan. In 2019, Sawyer was awarded a Kresge Arts in Detroit fellowship for Visual Arts, and the 2019 Alain Locke Award, presented by the Detroit Institute of Arts.
The following are the awards as decided by Mr. Sawyer:
| Best of Show | Jesus in the Temple / Cupid and Psyche | Isiah Lattimore |
| Overall Achievement in Visual Arts | Érika C. Xavier de Melo | |
| Juror’s Choice | Persona | Érika C. Xavier de Melo |
| Sculpture | One line | Aric Reed |
| Ceramics | Flint Water Crisis | Ella Sinclair |
| Drawing | Winter | Mizahnyi Tipton-Thomas |
| Painting | Jesus in the Temple / Cupid and Psyche | Isiah Lattimore |
| Martin Anderson Printmaking | Tick | Molly McLaughlin |
| Graphic Design | My Name Is. | Craig Kelley, Jr |
| Photo & Media Design | Bathroom Stall | Shauna Reiman |
| Interaction Design | M Quip Case Study | Jennifer Hess |
| Outstanding Civic Engagement | North Flint Oral History Exhibition | ART 342 |
The following awards are selected by their respective university officials:
| Chancellor’s Award | Fortune | Kanzas Reagle |
| Provost’s Award | Hallucination | Homeyra Banaeefar |
| Dean’s Award | Shoreline Magazine | Ashley Clark |
Dr. Sarah Jordan Lippert Scholarship for Excellence
The inaugural recipient of the Dr. Sarah Jordan Lippert Scholarship Award is Homeyra Banaeefar.
Homeyra Banaeefar (b. Tehran, Iran) is pursuing a Master’s degree in Arts Administration (Museum and Visual Arts track) at the University of Michigan-Flint. Her thesis focuses on The University of Michigan Museum of Art’s (UMMA) special collection of the work of Paul Rand, who is considered to be the father of modern graphic design in the United States. Homeyra is a first-generation college graduate, with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from Allameh Tabataba’i University. She has received the C.S. Mott Engaged Learning Scholarship, the UM-Flint Dean’s Graduate Student Scholarship and the Rackham Fellowship two years in a row. Homeyra has worked as an art journalist, interned at the Collections Department at Ruth Mott Foundation, Applewood Estate, and at UMMA, where she is currently working as an Art Handler in the Collections and Exhibitions Department.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the committee for their generosity in funding the Dr. Sarah Lippert Memorial Scholarship. I am sincerely honored and appreciative to be the recipient of this award. Dr. Lippert was a brilliant professor, a compassionate advisor, and a kind-hearted friend. Teachers have an unparalleled impact on our lives, and Dr. Lippert was one of the best. I’m so grateful for the delight she brought to my life.”
– Homeyra Banaeefar
This memorial scholarship was established in 2019 by Art & Art History faculty member, Dr. Linda Johnson in honor of her beloved colleague and mentor, Dr. Sarah Jordan Lippert, who shared with her the passion, solemnity, and joy she felt in pursuing the field of Art History and Museum Studies. Dr. Lippert was a devoted teacher and scholar in the University of Michigan –Flint’s Department of Art and Art History.