Craig Miller, nice art grant shortlist

This year, we offered our second annual Nice Art Grant, a no-strings-attached $500 stipend to go toward selected artists’ creative practices. With over 300 applicants, it was difficult to narrow it down to only two artists, so we needed to create a shortlist to highlight a few more practices! this year’s jurors were epiphany and tim (MNA cofounders) and last year’s grant winners, emma mckay ryan and josh johnson. from our shortlist, today we're sharing work from Craig Miller @craigmillerstudio

Craig Miller is an emerging artist based in Des Moines, Iowa. Originally trained as a designer, his graphic sensibility has since collided with a lifelong fascination for fiber artwork, giving way to a vibrant and tactile art practice. Through a combination of his bold illustration style and soft mediums like rug tufting, chain stitch embroidery, and sewing, his work aims to be a charming reminder that the small things which make up the world around us—the commonplace objects, the incidental interactions, the brushes with nature—are a source of magic, and the secret to a beautiful life. Using the skills learned from his time spent studying graphic design and animation he explores the forms of our everyday environment, exaggerating shapes and materials, playing with iconic representations, and personifying the inanimate to create a sense of character, humor, and whimsy.

congrats, Craig!