Arts & Entertainment
Artists From Seattle, Oregon Are 2018 Betty Bowen Finalists
One of this year's finalists will receive an unrestricted cash award in the amount of $15,000 and will have their work displayed at SAM.
From SAM: The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) and the Betty Bowen Committee, chaired by Gary Glant, announced today the five artists selected as finalists for this year’s Betty Bowen Award: Natalie Ball, Amy Bernstein, Bruce Burris, Deborah Lawrence, and George Rodriguez. The juried award honors a Northwest artist for their original, exceptional, and compelling work. The award was founded in 1977 to honor the legacy of Betty Bowen (1918–1977), who was an avid champion of artists in the Pacific Northwest. Founded by Bowen’s friends, the award is administered by SAM.
The Betty Bowen Committee—comprising Northwest curators, collectors, and artists—reviewed 461 applications from visual artists residing in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. One of this year’s finalists will receive an unrestricted cash award in the amount of $15,000 and will have their work displayed at the Seattle Art Museum. At the discretion of the committee, up to two Special Recognition Awards of $2,500 may be granted.
Last year’s winner was Jono Vaughan, whose work memorializes transgender individuals whose lives were cut short by violence. Her solo exhibition (April 21–August 5, 2018) featured her ongoing series Project 42, in which she creates handmade garments that are then worn in collaborative public performances.
The winner of the 40th Annual Betty Bowen Award will be announced in September 2018. The award will be formally presented in a free and open to the public celebration at the Seattle Art Museum on November 8, 2018. The winner’s solo exhibition will be on view at SAM in spring 2019.
Images via SAM
