Sondheim Prize
Very seldom do I make it to the awards presentation of The Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize, but I did this year. This is the second time it’s been held at The Walters Art Museum. Next year the ceremony will return to its original home, The Baltimore Museum of Art.
For those not familiar with this prize, artists compete for top honors and a $25,000 fellowship in the Greater Baltimore area’s most prestigious arts competition. The award assists in furthering the career of a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living and working in this region. There are hundreds of submissions, which ultimately are narrowed down to a handful of finalists. This year there were seven.
Artist Neil Feather, who builds mechanized musical instruments from bowling balls, film projectors and cigar boxes, among other objects, received this year's prize.
There were a few speakers during the evening, reading from a script, and that’s understandable, but their presentations appeared too flat and stale. There was no engagement. Many lacked sincerity, and that’s sad.
When it came time for Neil Feather to speak, he couldn’t find his notes. There he was on stage checking and rechecking every pocket to no avail. He appeared genuinely surprised by the win. His heartfelt emotions were well received by the audience, which made the evening momentous. Congratulations, Neil!
Visit The Walters soon to see the finalists’ work, which will be exhibited through August 17, 2014. Plan to visit the Fox Building at MICA during Artscape to view the work of the semifinalists. – paerki
For those not familiar with this prize, artists compete for top honors and a $25,000 fellowship in the Greater Baltimore area’s most prestigious arts competition. The award assists in furthering the career of a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living and working in this region. There are hundreds of submissions, which ultimately are narrowed down to a handful of finalists. This year there were seven.
Artist Neil Feather, who builds mechanized musical instruments from bowling balls, film projectors and cigar boxes, among other objects, received this year's prize.
There were a few speakers during the evening, reading from a script, and that’s understandable, but their presentations appeared too flat and stale. There was no engagement. Many lacked sincerity, and that’s sad.
When it came time for Neil Feather to speak, he couldn’t find his notes. There he was on stage checking and rechecking every pocket to no avail. He appeared genuinely surprised by the win. His heartfelt emotions were well received by the audience, which made the evening momentous. Congratulations, Neil!
Visit The Walters soon to see the finalists’ work, which will be exhibited through August 17, 2014. Plan to visit the Fox Building at MICA during Artscape to view the work of the semifinalists. – paerki
