The New Museum announces The Altoids® Award
Four $25,000 prizes for emerging artists chosen exclusively by artists.
The New Museum and long-time supporter Altoids, the Curiously Strong Mints®, proudly announce the establishment of The Altoids Award. A first of its kind, the prize will be awarded biennially by the New Museum to four emerging artists nominated and selected by a panel comprised entirely of other artists. The award will consist of a $25,000 cash prize for each of the four winners totaling $100,000 — as well as a joint exhibition at the New Museum’s new building on the Bowery.
The unique award selection process calls for a geographically and stylistically diverse group of ten artists to each nominate up to five emerging artists, which they have identified for producing especially innovative, unusual and powerful work. Nominators themselves were selected for the quality of their work and their proven commitment to publicly supporting the artistic community through writing, teaching, organizing exhibitions and running alternative spaces. The nominators for the first Altoids Award will be:
Edgar Arceneaux, Los Angeles Allora and Calzadilla, San Juan, Puerto Rico Mitch Cope, Detroit Trisha Donnelly, San Francisco Harrell Fletcher, Portland, OR Jay Heikes, Minneapolis Matt Keegan, New York Rick Lowe, Houston Frances Stark, Los Angeles Michelle Grabner, Chicago
Several of the nominators Edgar Arceneaux (2002), Trisha Donnelly (2001), Harrell Fletcher (2002) and Jay Heikes (2002) – were also selected early in their careers for the New Museums Altoids Curiously Strong Collection, which has always been committed to supporting young and emerging talent.
The first four Altoids Award recipients will be chosen from the nominated pool of artists by three established artists known for their ground-breaking work and for their unflagging commitment to engaging and supporting new talent: Paul McCarthy, Cindy Sherman and Rirkrit Tiravanija.
The recipients will be announced in early 2008, and a presentation of their work, organized by New Museum Curator Massimiliano Gioni, will debut in the first floor gallery of New Museum’s new Bowery home in fall 2008.
The New Museum and Altoids have worked together for seven years to support and promote emerging artists, said Lisa Phillips, Toby Devan Lewis Director, New Museum. The Altoids Award expands on this unique relationship, offering an exciting opportunity for us to work with artists who support other artists to seek out new talent from across the country and present it to a broad public audience in a museum setting.
About the New Museum
The New Museum, founded in 1977, is the only museum in New York City dedicated exclusively to contemporary art. In 2005, the New Museum began construction on a new home at 235 Bowery at Prince Street. This 60,000 square-foot facility, designed by the Tokyo-based firm Sejima Nishizawa / SANAA, will greatly expand the Museums exhibitions and programs. For the most up-to-date information, visit www.newmuseum.org.
About Altoids
Altoids has worked to advance the careers of emerging artists since 1998. In addition to its ongoing support for numerous contemporary art organizations and exhibitions, the Altoids Curiously Strong Collection supports todays emerging artistic talent by providing meaningful exposure and recognition in a public art forum. In 2000, Altoids donated the entire Curiously Strong Collection, as well as all subsequent works, to the New Museum, adding significantly to the Museums holdings and marking its first-ever acceptance of a corporate collection. During the past seven years, Altoids has donated more than 155 extraordinary works that represent an innovative and adventurous approach to visual arts and patronage to the New Museums permanent collection. Through The Altoids Award, the New Museum and Altoids will continue to nurture their long-standing partnership and commitment to undiscovered artists.
New Museum
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