Installation view, Arizona Artist Awards, 2023, Phoenix Art Museum.

ARIZONA ARTIST AWARDS

Art Arizona Artist Awards

Since 1986, Phoenix Art Museum has awarded more than $350,000 to over 200 Arizona-based artists through two annual artist awards opportunities.

ARLENE AND MORTON SCULT ARTIST AWARD

Each year, Phoenix Art Museum recognizes a mid-career Arizona artist with the Arlene and Morton Scult Artist Award (Scult Artist Award). Eligible candidates are nominated by a group of arts professionals. These artists must demonstrate artistic excellence through their work, be actively making and exhibiting new work, have demonstrated significant growth in their work over their careers, and have been residents of Arizona for a minimum of four consecutive years. The recipient is then selected by a jury of curators, art scholars, artists, and other visual arts experts and professionals.

The award currently includes:

  • Monetary support
  • An invitation to present a solo exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum
  • A lifetime PhxArt Membership

The Arlene and Morton Scult Artist Award program is a continuation of a mid-career artist award begun in 2006 by former Museum support group Contemporary Forum. In 2010, the Museum began offering the award on an annual basis, and in 2018, the program was rebranded to acknowledge the support of local donors Arlene and Morton Scult. Over the grant program’s history, Phoenix Art Museum has awarded support to 12 Arizona-based artists.

Previous Scult Award recipients

Fronterizx Collective, Nopal en la Sangre 1. Image courtesy of the artist. © Jenea Sanchez.
Sama Alshaibi, Generation after Generation, 2019. Screen print mixed media, 10 panels. Courtesy of the artist.
Ann Morton, The Violet Protest, 2021. Multimedia. Courtesy of the artist. Installation view of Ann Morton: The Violet Protest and the 2019 Phoenix Art Museum Artists' Grants Recipients Exhibition, 2021, Phoenix Art Museum. Photo by Airi Katsuta.
Installation view, Julio César Morales: Invaders, 2019. Phoenix Art Museum.
Patricia Sannit, Rise Fall Rise, 2017. Ceramic, glaze, found materials, concrete, rebar, wax, paint, mixed media. Installation view, Phoenix Art Museum. Photo: Mary Knopp.
Installation view, Sasika Jordá: A Geography of Line, 2016. Phoenix Art Museum.
Rachel Bess
Collin Chillag
Annie Lopez: Contemporary Forum's Mid-Career Artist Award Recipient
Installation view, 2012 Contemporary Forum Mid Career Artist Award Exhibition: Gregory Sale. Photo by Ken Howie.

2023 Gabriela Muñoz & Jenea Sanchez: Empowered Fronterizx Bodies
2021
Sama Alshaibi: Generation After Generation
2019Ann Morton: The Violet Protest
2018Julio César Morales: Invaders
2017Matt Magee •>][<‘.”-,}~{•*|
2016Patricia Sannit: Rise Fall Rise*
2015Saskia Jordá: A Geography of Line*
2014Rachel Bess: 2014 Contemporary Forum Artists Grant Winners*
2013Colin Chillag: 2013 Contemporary Forum Mid-Career Artist Award Exhibition
2012 Annie Lopez: 2012 Contemporary Forum Mid-Career Artist Award Exhibition*
2011Gregory Sale: 2011 Contemporary Forum Mid-Career Artist Award Exhibition*
2010Mayme Kratz*
2006John Haddock

*Previous Lehmann Emerging Artist Award recipient

SALLY AND RICHARD LEHMANN EMERGING ARTIST AWARDS

The Sally and Richard Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards (Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards) are presented annually by Phoenix Art Museum to foster the creation of contemporary art by providing recognition and financial support for emerging, professional, Arizona-based artists. Eligible candidates apply through an open call and must be considered emerging artists who are currently working and have resided in Arizona for a minimum of one year, among other requirements. A jury of curators, art scholars, artists, and other visual arts experts and professionals select up to two artists to receive the award.

Each recipient currently receives:

  • Monetary support
  • An invitation to present work in a joint exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum
  • A lifetime PhxArt Membership

The Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards are a continuation of an artists’ grants program begun in 1986 by the former Museum support group Contemporary Forum. The Contemporary Forum Artists’ Grants concluded in 2017, at which time Phoenix Art Museum continued to subsidize the program to support the efforts and recognition of Arizona-based artists. In April 2021, the program was rebranded to acknowledge the support of local donors Sally and Richard Lehmann. Over the grant program’s nearly 40-year history, Phoenix Art Museum has awarded support to more than 190 Arizona-based artists, many of whom have gone on to be recipients of the Arlene and Morton Scult Artist Award including Ann Morton, Patricia Sannit, Rachel Bess, Annie Lopez, Gregory Sale, and Mayme Kratz.

Previous Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards Recipients

2023 – Alejandro Macias and Yaritza Flores Bustos
2021 – Gloria Martinez-Granados, Chris Vena, and Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Sam Frésquez
2019 – Christina Gednalske, Danielle Hacche, Lena Klett, Nazafarin Lotfi, and Kimberly Lyle
2018 – Papay Solomon, Taylor James, Elliot Jamal Robbins, and Malakai
2017 – Laura Spalding Best, Christopher Jagmin, and Casey Farina
2016 – David Emitt Adams, Mary Meyer, Constance McBride, Bryan David Griffith, and Christine Cassano
2015 – Anna Garner, Claire A. Warden, Rossitza Todorova, Kazuma Sambe, Rembrandt Quiballo, Abbey Messmer, and Nathaniel Lewis
2014 – Kerstin L. Dale, Bill Dambrova, Karen Hymer, Hyunji Lee, Lauren Strohacker and Kendra Sollars, Larry Valencia Madrigal, and Ben Willis
2013 – Sean Deckert, Mohammad Reza Javaheri, Kim Largey, La Muñeca, Michael McLeod, Ann Morton, and David Sherman
2012 – James Angel, Kristin Bauer, Carolyn Lavender, Irma Sanchez, Karolina Sussland, Nic Wiesinger, and Paul S. Wilson
2011 – Peter Bugg, Cy Edgar Keener and Jay Atherton, William Le Goullon, Melissa Martinez, Aaron Rothman, John Tuomisto-Bell, and Lisa Corine von Koch
2010 – Claudio Dicochea, Debra Edgerton, Xóchitl Cristina Gil-Higuchi , Mary Lucking, Adria Pecora, Kris Sanford, and Alison R. Sweet
2009 – Kjellgren Alkire, Susan Beiner, Mitch Fry, Saskia Jordá, Yuri Makino, Deb Salac, and Keith Stanton
2008 – Alan Bur Johnson, Bridget Chérie Harper, Eliza Gregory, Richard Lerman, Patricia Sannit, and Derek Wilkinson
2007 – Rachel Bess, Valerie Constantino, Mona Higuchi, Karl Kroeppler, Mark Pomilio, Chris Santa Maria, and Kaori Takamura
2006 – Julie Anand, Carolina Escobar, Heidi Hesse, Leigh Merrill, Dominic Miller, Matthew Paweski, and Jen Urso
2005 – Craig Cully, Jes Gettler, Brad Konick, Carrie Marill, Matthew Moore, Michael A. Wirtz, and Denise Yaghmourian
2004 – Don Kauss, Nissa Kubly, Marc Leone, Dave Lewis, Shawn R. Skabelund, Erin V. Sotak, and Steven Yazzie
2003 – Alice Leora Briggs, Nobuhito Nishigawara, Mary Porterfield, Gwyneth Scally, and Hirotsune Tashima
2002 – Ernie Button, Melissa M. Button, Stephen Johnson, Darren Lewis, and Christina Ramirez
2001 – Julia Latané, Malinda Theisman, Ted Uran, Frances McMahon Ward, and Steve Weiss
2000 – Myriam Babin, Bob Carey, Aurora Hughes Villa, Kathryn Maxwell, and Al Price
1999 – Sue Chenoweth, Michael Longstaff, Beverly McIver, Chris Rush, and Xiaoze Xie
1998 – Brent Bond, Timothy Chapman, Diana Clauss, Jerry Jacobson, and Scott Massey
1997 – Alison Dunn, Angela Ellsworth, Steve Gompf, Anthony Pressler, and Herb Stratford
1996 – Joseph Labate, Rick Lloyd, Kelly B. Morris, Jeff Schmuki, and Henry Leo Schoebel
1995 – Dan Collins, Joel Coplin, Keith Alan Gossiaux, Martina M. Shenal, and Deborah Wozniak
1994 – Paula Wittner, Elaine S. Querry, Gregory Sale, Sean O’Donnell, and Robyn Stoutenburg
1993 – Jerry Allen Gilmore, Annie Lopez, Marie Navarre, Andrew Polk, and Craig Smith
1992 – Robert Adams, Cecilie Arcari, Mayme Kratz, Alfred J. Quiroz, and Kelvin Yazzie
1991 – Cristina Cardenas, Janet de Berge Lange, Michael Marlowe, and Alistar Milne
1990 – Bruce Behnfeldt, Mark Derby, and Arthur Vincent
1989 – Cameron Aldrich, Barbara Gilson, Helen Hestenes, Marilyn Szabo, and Tony Zahn
1988 – Lew Alquist, Bailey Doogan, Gayle J. Novak, Elaine Orlinsky, and Kenneth Shorr
1987 – Brian Borello, Robert D. Cocke, Hogue Day, Linda Mundwiler, and David Therrien
1986 – Lea Black, Trish Wann, Roberto Marquez, Ann Simmons-Myers, and Gregory West

The Arizona Artist Awards program is made possible with the support of ArtLink.
Image credits (top to bottom): Fronterizx Collective, Nopal en la Sangre 1. Image courtesy of the artist. © Jenea Sanchez; Installation view, Sama Alshaibi, Generation after Generation, 2022. Phoenix Art Museum; Sama Alshaibi, Generation after Generation (detail), 2019. Screen print mixed media, 10 panels. Courtesy of the artist; Ann Morton, The Violet Protest, 2021. Multimedia. Courtesy of the artist. Installation view, Ann Morton: The Violet Protest, 2021. Phoenix Art Museum. Photo by Airi Katsuta; Installation view, Julio César Morales: Invaders, 2019. Phoenix Art Museum; Matt Magee, Star Map 1 and Star Map 2, 2018. Oil and graphite on panels. Courtesy of the artist; Patricia Sannit, Rise Fall Rise, 2017. Ceramic, glaze, found materials, concrete, rebar, wax, paint, mixed media. Installation view, 2017. Phoenix Art Museum. Photo: Mary Knopp; Installation view, Sasika Jordá: A Geography of Line, 2016. Phoenix Art Museum; Installation view. Rachel Bess: 2014 Contemporary Forum Artists Grant Winners, 2015. Phoenix Art Museum; Installation view, Colin Chillag: 2013 Contemporary Forum Mid-Career Artist Award Exhibition, 2014. Phoenix Art Museum; Installation view, Annie Lopez: 2012 Contemporary Forum Mid-Career Artist Award Exhibition, 2013. Phoenix Art Museum. Photo by Ken Howie; Installation view, Gregory Sale: 2011 Contemporary Forum Mid-Career Artist Award Exhibition, 2012. Phoenix Art Museum. Photo by Ken Howie; Sam Frésquez.and Merryn Omotayo Alaka, Kanekalon Forest, 2022. Kanekalon hair and clamps, steel, wire. Courtesy of the artists and Lisa Sette Gallery. Installation view, 2021 Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards Exhibition, 2022, Phoenix Art Museum.

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ARIZONA ARTIST AWARDS

Since 1986, Phoenix Art Museum has awarded more than $350,000 to over 200 Arizona-based artists through two annual artist awards opportunities.

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