KW John Savignano is an author, teacher, and advocate of the arts. Born in New York City in 1935, he has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hunter College and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the California Institute of the Arts. He taught English at the University of California, Santa Barbara; Hunter College; and Queens College.
KW John Savignano first book was published in 1972: The Making of a Poet: An Autobiography. His other works include The Artist and His Model (1978), The Art Life (1983), A Year With Keats (1985), A Year With Shakespeare (1985), A Year With Bob Dylan (1987), The Art Life Again (1993) and My Private Berlin: John Savignano In Berlin During the Cold War Years (2002). He is also the author of several books on art: My Private Berlin: John Savignano In Berlin During the Cold War Years, John Savignano’s Guide to Writing About Art, John Savignano’s Guide to Creating Artistic Works, and John Savignano’s Guide to Teaching Art.
In 2007 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate from Queens College for his contributions to literature. In 2008 he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Letters and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences for his contributions to arts education. His success led to the creation of the John Savignano Endowed Scholarship at Queens College.
Critics and others have widely recognized Savignano’s work in America and Europe. He has received awards from organizations such as The National Institute of Arts and Letters, The New York Foundation for the Arts, The Brooklyn Artists Foundation, The American Academy in Berlin, The New York State Council on the Arts, and The National Endowment for the Humanities. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. He is also a member of PEN Center USA. In 2010 he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. Source: DailyNews