Press RoomPhoenix Art Museum announces call for submissions by Arizona-based artists for 2021 Sally and Richard Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards

Phoenix Art Museum announces call for submissions by Arizona-based artists for 2021 Sally and Richard Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards

Phoenix Art Museum announces call for submissions by Arizona-based artists for 2021 Sally and Richard Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards
May, 15, 2021

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Phoenix Art Museum announces call for submissions by Arizona-based artists for 2021 Sally and Richard Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards

Museum collaborates with Artlink on call; grant recipients will be notified in September 2021 with work exhibited in Spring 2022

PHOENIX (May 15, 2021) – Phoenix Art Museum has opened the annual call for submissions for the institution’s Sally and Richard Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards artists’ grants program (Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards). The newly branded and juried grant program provides recognition and financial support for emerging, professional, Arizona-based artists. The Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards replace the former Contemporary Forum Artists’ Grants. For the 2021 Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards open call, Phoenix Art Museum is partnering with Artlink, a Phoenix-based arts organization, who will host and help promote the call for artwork submissions. The call is open from May 15 through July 15, 2021 to artists who wish to present their work for consideration. There is a submission fee of $10, with proceeds supporting education programs and exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum. Up to three Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards recipients will be announced on September 30, 2021, with each receiving a $1,500 grant and the opportunity to participate in a group exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum in spring 2022.

The Sally and Richard Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards are an annual artists’ grants program. The recognition program is a continuation of a program begun by former Museum support group Contemporary Forum, which awarded more than 180 artists’ grants over more than 30 years. The Contemporary Forum Artists’ Grants concluded in 2017, at which time Phoenix Art Museum continued to subsidize an annual artists’ grants program to support the efforts and recognition of Arizona-based artists. In April 2021, the annual artists’ grants program was rebranded to acknowledge the support of local donors Sally and Richard Lehmann, who have committed to funding the Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards annually for a minimum of 10 years.

The Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards foster the creation of contemporary art by encouraging emerging artists working in Arizona through grants and annual exhibitions as well as by providing additional programming opportunities for artist talks with the community and hosted at Phoenix Art Museum. Each year, up to three artists are selected as award recipients by a jury assembled by Gilbert Vicario, curator of contemporary art at Phoenix Art Museum, and featuring curators from inside and outside the state of Arizona. The jury may also include internationally established artists and other visual-art experts. Past jurors have included Tyler Cann, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Columbus Museum of Art, and Kate Green, the Executive Director of MoCA Tucson. 2021 Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards recipients will receive $1,500 each to support their work and will be invited to present new work in a group exhibition alongside the Museum’s 2021 Arlene and Morton Scult Artist Award (Scult Award) recipient, who is nominated by invitation and selected by a jury. The 2019 Phoenix Art Museum Artists’ Grants Recipientsexhibition, on view now through September 5, 2021, features works by emerging artists Christina Gednalske, Danielle Hacche, Lena Klett, Nazafarin Lotfi, and Kimberly Lyle, who comprise the Museum’s first all-women artists’ grants cohort. This exhibition is displayed in conjunction with Ann Morton: The Violet Protest, featuring the work of 2019 Scult Award recipient Ann Morton.

Call for 2021 Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards Submissions

Phoenix Art Museum will be accepting submissions for the 2021 Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards from May 15 through July 15, 2021. Applications are accepted online only and are due on July 15, 2021. A panel of judges, who will be announced to the public on September 30, 2021, will select the recipients. The selection committee will award up to three grants of $1,500 each, and each recipient will be invited to present work in the 2022 Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards recipients’ exhibition. There is a $10 fee to submit to the open call, with proceeds supporting arts education and exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum.  

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Artists must be considered emerging artists, meeting at least one of the following criteria:
  • Individuals who have completed degree programs in the last 5 years
    • Artists who exhibit their work in Arizona but may not have shown nationally or internationally
    • Artists with a website and a few different bodies of work that show development over time
  • Artists must currently be working.
  • Artists working in all media, including painting, sculpture, drawing, installation, new media, performance, photography, and video, may apply.
  • Artists must be Arizona residents for a minimum of one year.
  • Submitted artwork must have been produced within the past two years.
  • Artists may not be enrolled in a college-degree program.
  • Previous recipients of the Artists’ Grants are ineligible.
  • Artists must be registered as an Artlink Articipant. Register as an Articipant* with Artlink here:

*Note: While Articipation with Artlink does not require payment, there are additional benefits to paid levels. Visit artlinkphx.org for details. Questions about Artlink? Please email info@artlinkphx.org.  

Submission Requirements:

Applications must be submitted online USING THE FOLLOWING LINK: bit.ly/LehmannAwardsOpenCall

Submissions MUST include:

  • Artist name, street address, email address, and telephone number
  • Resume/CV
  • Artist statement (optional; 150 words or less)
  • Description of each submitted work (title, date, medium, dimensions)
  • Three (3) JPEGS or three (3) videos of different examples of work
    • Videos exceeding three minutes will not be accepted.

Submission Deadline:

All materials must be submitted online by 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time on July 15, 2021. Submit applications to the following link: bit.ly/LehmannAwardsOpenCall. Please email curatorial@phxart.org with any questions.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 350,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

About Artlink Inc.

Artlink keeps the arts integral to our development by connecting artists, businesses, and the community. Founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by artists in 1989, the Artlink name is a guiding principle for the organization, as it supports stakeholders of the arts and culture community, amplifying its collective strength. Visit artlinkphx.org to sign up for the Artlink newsletter, or connect socially on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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