About the Award
Jason Noble ’07
Made from a domed, fine silver disk set with a sterling silver backing, the Forward under 40 award contains the UW crest set within the state of Wisconsin and superimposed on an image of a globe. The crest is enameled with red transparent glass, allowing light to enter and reflect back toward the viewer, and the award winners’ names are engraved on the back of the medallions.
What is Forward under 40?
Forward under 40 is a new, annual awards program of the Wisconsin Alumni Association showcasing dynamic UW-Madison graduates under the age of 40. Award winners demonstrate remarkable impact through their professional achievements, service to the community or to UW-Madison, and reflect a great “Badger spirit” in terms of energy, initiative, creativity and drive. The 2008 award winners featured on this site were also part of a March 2008 publication mailed to 100,000 UW alumni and WAA members. Questions about the award? Please e-mail us or contact us toll free at (888) WIS-ALUM.
Meet the Forward under 40 Award Designer
Jason Noble
Who better to design the 2008 Forward under 40 award than a UW grad? Last summer, with help from the UW-Madison Department of Art, WAA put out a call to the campus art community to submit award concepts. We received 13 well-crafted submissions in a variety of media, making for a tough call. But in the end we decided that the medallion submitted by Jason Noble ’07 best embodied the Wisconsin Idea, the driving force behind the Forward under 40 award.
We asked the 24-year-old alum to tell us a bit about himself and the award-making process.
Did you always plan to pursue an art degree at UW?
Yes. I began as an art education major. During my sophomore year, however, I took an art metals class, Intro to Jewelry, loved it, and have been doing it ever since. After that, I changed my major from art education to fine art and proceeded to take every metals class the university had to offer.
And we’re glad you did. Did you have a favorite course?
I’d have to say Intro to Pewter, taught by professor Fred Fenster, now retired.
What has been your proudest achievement as an artist?
Shortly after I graduated, I won a grant from the Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design, meant to help young, recently graduated craft artists make the transition from school to a career as a professional artist.
Are there any other artists in the Noble family?
I am told that my grandmother discovered an amazing hidden talent as a draftsman late in life. She started out by drawing portraits of my mother and her siblings and could draw detailed renderings from memory, having once drawn Michelangelo’s Pieta while waiting for a doctor’s appointment.
What have you been doing since you graduated?
Right now, I am working on getting more commission work, building my portfolio and looking into graduate school.
How did you arrive at the winning Forward under 40 design?
I’ve never been big on sketch pads for use in idea generating. I come up with a rough idea in my head and begin producing right away. Some of the most interesting ideas arrive along the way, rather than right from the start.
Any plans for the award stipend?
As of now, it will go into the “poor artist’s fund,” also known as Jason Noble’s savings account. Seriously, though, I will save it for now and use it for anything art-related in the near future.