I was awarded the Sarah Orne Jewett Award from the Maine Women’s Fund for my accomplishment as a photographer and educator.
Other grantees include: Melissa Sweet, for her children’s book illustrating; Women of the Commons, for revitalizing historic buildings in Eastport, Maine as arts spaces; and, Julia Sleeper, for creating Tree Street Youth, a space for teens to engage in art and activities in Lewiston, Maine.
My speech at the award's ceremony :
The Sarah Orne Jewett Award is given to a Maine woman who exhibits the attributes of the women in Jewett’s works of fiction: true grit, independence, courage, humor and discipline. 2016's recipient is prolific photographer and educator, Rose Marasco. She is a Distinguished Professor Emerita at the University of Southern Maine where she developed the photography program and taught for 35 years, as well as teaching at the Maine College of Art during that time. Her photographs are included in public collections of distinction including: the Fogg Museum at Harvard University; the Museum of American History at Smithsonian Institution; and our Maine's Portland Museum of Art.