Paul Hapke Studio Artist Award Endowment
Paul Hapke was a Midwest regional artist, professor of art and more, and a working artist at the University for over 26 years. He was accomplished and productive in many media, including drawing and woodcut printing, wood, stone, welded and cast sculpture, oil and watercolor painting. He was also a gifted teacher who knew, by his example of making art while he taught, to inspire his students. He was a generous man, one who opened his office and his home to students for informal symposia and spontaneous tutorials. He had a great sense of humor and a great knowledge of artists and their works. He’d also seen a lot of art in other countries and around the United States but rarely referenced that wealth of experience except when he needed to critique a student’s work or make a point in class.
This endowment was started in his honor in 1984 by family, friends and alums to provide scholarship opportunities to students concentrating in ceramics, drawing, graphic design, painting, printmaking, photography or sculpture.