Two Sidwell Friends alumni have been awarded $50,000 grants from United States Artists (USA). Sonya Clark ’85 and Campbell McGrath ’80 were among the 50 artists to be honored this month by the cultural philanthropy organization.

Clark was named a 2011 USA Glasgow Fellow in crafts and traditional arts. Chair of the Craft and Material Studies department at Virginia Commonwealth University, Clark creates textile works, sculptures, installations, and photographs. She is known for her work with hair as a material to address race and identity issues.

Campbell McGrath was named a 2011 USA Knight Fellow in literature. McGrath has published nine collections of his poetry, predominantly free-verse, long form, documentary poems about the American landscape, culture, and history. McGrath is the Phillip and Patricia Frost Professor of Creative Writing at Florida International University.

United States Artists is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to investing in America's finest artists and to illuminating the value of artists to society. Through the USA Fellows program, $15 million has been awarded directly to outstanding artists across the country. Learn more at www.usafellows.org.