NEW YORK, NY.- Galerie Lelong, New York announced that Alfredo Jaar is the recipient of the 65th Annual Edward MacDowell Medal. Jaar will be celebrated during a free public outdoor celebration on Sunday, June 29th featuring activations of his work and open studios with MacDowell’s artists-in-residence.
The Medal is awarded annually to an artist whose body of work continues to provide impact and inspiration to other artists and to the public. Jaar receives this honor in recognition of his outstanding contributions to American culture in the field of “Visual Arts.” His poetic photographs, films and elaborate installations confront the greatest socio-political issues of our time, including genocide, the displacement of refugees, war, corruption and economic inequality. Jaar joins a notable cohort of past Medal recipients in the field of Visual Arts including: Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, Georgia O’Keefe, Charles Gaines, Edward Hopper, Betye Saar, Nam June Paik, Kiki Smith, and Jasper Johns, among many others.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award, following in the footsteps of so many extraordinary intellectuals who have inspired me throughout my career. I am truly moved and humbled,” said Alfredo Jaar.
“MacDowell is honored to celebrate Alfredo Jaar with the 2025 Edward MacDowell Medal,” said Chiwoniso Kaitano, Executive Director of MacDowell. “Over four decades, Jaar’s singular contribution to the world of visual arts has pushed the boundaries of our collective consciousness. His work at the intersection of art and social justice is more necessary than ever before. We look forward to Jaar joining our MacDowell community in celebration this summer in Peterborough, New Hampshire.”
Sarah Arison (President, Arison Arts Foundation and Board President, MoMA) chaired this year’s Medal selection panel, which included luminaries of the arts world including Michi Jigarjian, Connie Butler, Derrick Adams, Franklin Sirmans, Koyo Kouoh, Dahlia Elsayed, and José Parla.
“Our panel was unanimous in our decision to recognize Alfredo Jaar as one of the leading contemporary artists working today,” Arison said of the selection process. “His work is both innovative and uncompromising as it examines our relationship to the world and engages with some of the most urgent questions of our time.”
