AUSTIN, TEXAS.- The Board of Directors of Arthouse at the Jones Center in Austin, Texas announced the creation of the Arthouse Texas Prize, the first statewide prize of its kind for contemporary art. The juried prize, worth $30,000, will be awarded to an artist who has lived and worked in Texas for a minimum of three years. The jury, chaired by Arthouse¹s Executive Director, Sue Graze, includes James Elaine, Curator, Hammer Projects, UCLA Hammer Museum of Art; Vernon Fisher, artist, Fort Worth; Dave Hickey, independent art critic and curator based in Los Angeles; Kathryn Kanjo, Executive Director, ArtPace, San Antonio; Shamim M. Momin, Branch Director and Curator, Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria, New York; Valerie Cassel Oliver, Associate Curator, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. The prize is generously supported by group founders with strong Texas ties.
According to Sue Graze, "The prize complements perfectly our mission by underscoring the importance and strength of contemporary art practice in Texas, and nurturing the talents of some of our most promising artists. We expect this prize not only to grab the attention of our statewide community, but also of visual arts audiences and professionals on a national and international level."
The Arthouse Texas Prize will promote and celebrate a promising Texas-based artist who has produced a significant body of contemporary work in the past two years. The award recognizes innovation, talent and marked contributions to a thriving Texas art scene. Nominations will be provided by a select group of art-world professionals tuned into the Texas art scene. From the nominations, the jury will select three finalists whose work will be featured in an exhibition at Arthouse¹s facility, the Jones Center, in Austin during fall 2005 leading up to the announcement of the prize recipient at the Arthouse annual gala in November 2005. A catalogue documenting the artists and their work will also be published.