Art Spiegelman in Paris in March, 2012. Image by AFP/Getty Images

(JTA) — Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novelist for “Maus,” is set to become the first cartoonist to win the prestigious MacDowell Medal for culture and the arts.

The recognition puts Spiegelman, the son of Polish Holocaust survivors, in the company of cultural icons such as painter Georgia O’Keeffe and surrealist filmmaker David Lynch.

“Maus,” his semi-autobiographical graphic novel, tells the story of his father’s experiences during World War II as well as their strained relationship. He won the Pulitzer in 1992. Both “Maus” and its sequel were commercial and critical successes.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

A longtime writer and illustrator, Spiegelman first gained prominence as a member of the underground comix scene in the 1970s.

Told he was being honored with the MacDowell Medal, Spiegelman thought to himself, “The last thing I need is another lifetime achievement award,” he told the Washington Post. However, he added, “I have a voraciously puny sense of self — like most cartoonists I know.”

Spiegelman decided to accept the award thinking it could help break down cultural barriers for for his fellow cartoonists.

“We have no minister of culture in this country, so it falls to the private sector,” he said. “And art gives you a deeper look at what is going on around you. What’s recorded by artists helps us make [sense] of it all.”

The Edward MacDowell Medal has been awarded annually since 1960 to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to American culture and the arts. It is given by The MacDowell Colony, the first artist residency program in the United States. Composer Edward MacDowell and his pianist wife, Marian, launched the colony in 1907.

Spiegelman is also a recipient of a 2011 National Jewish Book Award, which he won for his book “MetaMaus: A Look Inside a Modern Classic, Maus.”

The post ‘Maus’ creator Art Spiegelman becomes first comics artist to win prestigious culture award appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount