Austin now has a major international art prize that elevates the city to a new status in the global art world.
The Contemporary Austin announced Thursday that it will be host to the Suzanne Deal Booth Art Prize, a $100,000 unrestricted biennial award given to an artist of any age, any nationality and working in any medium. In addition, the Booth Prize will finance a solo exhibit for the winning artist that will be accompanied by a major publication.
The prize includes support for a solo exhibit at the Contemporary and a catalog — in effect an invitation to create entirely new work for display at the Contemporary Jones Center or even at the museum’s outdoor site, the Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria.
The intent of the Booth Prize is to serve as a game-changer for an artist.
“The prize will create a highly visible outlet for artists deserving of increased recognition and for whom the award, exhibition and publication will be transformative — whether they be an early-, mid-, or late-career artist,” said Contemporary director Louis Grachos
That’s a magnanimous gesture in an art world typically star-struck by the celebrities of its own making.
