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UCF Graduate Named Jack Kent Cooke Scholar, Will Study Painting in N.Y.
ORLANDO, July 19, 2006 -- Danny Coeyman, a 2005 University of Central Florida graduate with a penchant for social activism, has received a Jack Kent Cooke scholarship to pay for his graduate studies at a prestigious New York fine arts school.
Coeyman, of Oviedo, will receive up to $50,000 a year for the Master in Fine Arts in Painting program at Parsons, the New School of Design. Seventy-seven Jack Kent Cooke Scholars were selected this year out of 1,100 nominees. Individual awards, which are among the largest offered in the United States, are based on academic performance, financial need, leadership, community involvement and motivation for success.
Coeyman's community involvement is widespread and far-reaching. He taught creative writing at the Coalition for the Homeless in Orlando. He also worked with the Cultural Heritage Alliance at UCF to create innovative Web sites for folk artists to showcase their work. Along with the School of Digital Media, English Department and others, seven artists have their work featured on www.folkvine.org.
"I have always been a working student, so now that I have the chance to concentrate fully on my studies, there is no excuse not to do good things," said Coeyman, who was a Burnett Honors College student at UCF.
Coeyman is the second consecutive Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship winner from UCF. Kati Blair, a 2004 Burnett Honors College graduate, received a scholarship to attend a one-year art education graduate program at Harvard University in 2005.
Coeyman graduated with university honors last year when he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting, and he was recognized with an Honors in the Major thesis award.
He recently painted a series of portraits of people close to him to reflect parts of the subjects' individual and social identities. Coeyman said each rough brush stroke represents each tick of the clock spent with the individual and that the paintings are a subjective and open experience for all involved that results not only in a painting, but also in a relationship.
The focus and composition of his art changed because of his parents' disappointment when they found out about his homosexuality four years ago. He now wants his work to touch the viewer aesthetically and raise social questions as well. Coeyman chose to paint portraits because he believes that the human figure embodies public issues, from homosexuality to feminism and race.
"I feel like a painting of a person should nudge us toward a sense of empathy and even identification," Coeyman said.
After graduating from Parsons, Coeyman plans to teach art to students with advanced skills, helping them turn talent into artwork.
"I see myself excelling in that mentorship role, encouraging new students to develop a series of images, and to think critically about its development," he said. "The dialogue between student and teacher sustains and challenges them both, and I will value it."
Coeyman also wants to show his own work in galleries and museums in New York City after he graduates from Parsons.
After attending the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholars Weekend in early August, Coeyman will leave for school at Parsons. He wants to move to either Brooklyn or Harlem, where his favorite artist Alice Neel once lived.
Two other 2006 Jack Kent Cooke Scholars hail from Florida universities. Sarah Wiggill, of Fort Lauderdale and Florida Atlantic University, will attend graduate school at the University of South Florida. Tony B. Williams, of Tallahassee and Florida State University, will attend Johns Hopkins University.
Founded in 2000, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private and independent foundation established by the estate of Jack Kent Cooke to help "young people of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education."
The scholarship recipients will pursue graduate study in many fields, including medicine, law, theology and education. The scholars include 14 in the fine and performing arts, reflecting the late Jack Kent Cooke's passion for the arts.
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