National Sculpture Society awards Cheong-ah Hwang the Marilyn Newmark Memorial Grant for her demonstrated commitment to sculpting and for the outstanding ability shown in her sculpture.

Noted animal sculptors Dan Ostermiller, Rosetta and Rod Zullo served as jurors for the award and were unanimous in their selection. According to Rosetta, Hwang shows “skilled execution of an unusual medium” and “accurate form and dynamic movement of the subjects.” Ostermiller calls Hwang’s art “refreshing,” not only in its medium, but in its “elegant design and composition.”  Zullo adds, “Hwang’s work is at a level of excellence that only comes from hard-work, persistence, and most importantly, passion.”

Hwang grew up playing with paper in her parents’ printing shop and has turned this childhood pastime into an elevated art form.  She finds her inspiration in nature, creating mostly birds. Since 2000, her paper sculptures have been shown throughout Columbus, Ohio in solo shows, group exhibitions, and arts festivals. Her online gallery and numerous blog and magazine features have given her a worldwide audience. Her how-to book, Creative Paper Cutting: 15 Paper Sculptures to Inspire and Delight is published by GMC Publications (UK).

The Newmark Grant is awarded annually to an animal sculptor and consists of an unrestricted cash prize of $5000 and a complimentary quarter-page ad in Sculpture Review magazine. Hwang is the seventh recipient of the Grant, which is funded in memory of NSS Fellow Marilyn Newmark, who was well-known for her animal sculptures, especially those of horses.