SEMIFINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 10^th ANNUAL JANET & WALTER SONDHEIM ARTSCAPE PRIZE

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts announces the semifinalists for the 10^th annual Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize.  The competition awards a $25,000 fellowship to assist in furthering the career of a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living and working in the Greater Baltimore region.  For 2015, 54 individual artists and two artist teams have been selected as semifinalists.

2015 Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize Semifinalists

Lauren Adams, Baltimore, MD	Katherine Mann, Washington, D.C.
Seth Adelsberger, Baltimore, MD	Quentin Moseley, Baltimore, MD
Mequitta Ahuja, Baltimore, MD	Danielle Mysliwiec, Takoma Park, MD
Stephanie Barber, Baltimore, MD	David Page, Baltimore, MD
Kyle Bauer, Baltimore, MD	Louie Palu, Washington, D.C.
Stephanie Benassi, Baltimore, MD	EunJung Park, Baltimore, MD
Keith Bentley, Baltimore, MD	Ruth Pettus, Baltimore, MD
Dustin Carlson, Baltimore, MD	Benjamin Piwowar, Baltimore, MD
Vincent Carney, Baltimore, MD	Nick Primo, Baltimore, MD
Zoe Charlton, Baltimore, MD	Samantha Rausch, Baltimore, MD
Chris Cheng, Baltimore, MD	Renee Rendine, Towson, MD
Larry Cook, Landover Hills, MD	Beverly Ress, Silver Spring, MD
Leah Danell Cooper, Baltimore, MD	Jamea Richmond-Edwards, Silver Spring, MD
Hoesy Corona, Baltimore, MD	Margaret Rogers, Baltimore, MD
Erin Curtis, Washington, D.C.	Pamela Rogers, Bethesda, MD
Nancy Daly, Washington, D.C.	Margaret Rorison, Baltimore, MD
Frank Day, Washington, D.C.	Rachel Rotenberg, Baltimore, MD
L. E. Doughtie, Baltimore, MD	Kenneth Schiano, Chestertown, MD
Hasan Elahi, College Park, MD	Ginevra Shay, Baltimore, MD
Maggie Gourlay, Rockville, MD	Leslie Shellow, Baltimore, MD
Lillian Hoover, Baltimore, MD	Amy Sherald, Baltimore, MD
Benjamin Kelley, Baltimore, MD	Ally Silberkleit, Baltimore, MD
J.T. Kirkland, Sterling, VA	Jared Soares, Washington, D.C.
Ru Kuwahata & Max Porter, Baltimore, MD	Ryan Syrell, Baltimore, MD
Magnolia Laurie, Baltimore, MD	Jerry Truong, Silver Spring, MD
Jim Leach, Baltimore, MD	Stewart Watson, Baltimore, MD
Rosemary Liss, Baltimore, MD	Daniel Wickerham & Malcolm Lomax, Baltimore, MD
Timothy Makepeace, Washington, D.C.	Yuriko Yamaguchi, Vienna, VA

 

The Sondheim Artscape Prize is held in conjunction with the annual Artscape juried exhibition and produced with the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).  Approximately six finalists are selected for the final review for the prize.  Their work is showcased in the Thalheimer Galleries at the Baltimore Museum of Art from Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, August 9, 2015.  Additionally, an exhibition of the semifinalists’ work is shown in the Decker and Meyerhoff galleries of MICA on Thursday, July 16 through Sunday, August 2, 2015.  An opening reception for the semifinalist exhibition takes place July 16, 2015 from 6pm to 9pm at MICA, located at 1303 W. Mount Royal Avenue.

The fellowship winner is selected from the Baltimore Museum of Art exhibition after review of the installed art and an interview with each finalist by the jurors.  Jurors for 2015 include Associate Curator at The Studio Museum Harlem, Naima Keith; Assistant Curator at the Dia Art Foundation, Kelly Kivland; and artist, Matthew Saunders.  Artist collaborators, if chosen as the winner or finalist, receive a single $25,000 prize that is equally divided among the members of the group.

Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize Timeline

Announcement of finalists: Mid-April, 2015

Finalists Exhibition at Baltimore Museum of Art: Wednesday, June 24-Sunday, August 9, 2015

Award announcement: Saturday, July 11, 2015, 7pm (Doors open at 6pm)

Semifinalist Exhibition at MICA: Thursday, July 16-Sunday, August 2, 2015

Semifinalist Exhibition opening reception: Thursday, July 16, 6-9pm

Artscape: Friday, July 17- Sunday, July 19, 2015

 

Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize

 

The Artscape prize is named in honor of Janet and Walter Sondheim who have been instrumental in creating the Baltimore City that exists today.  Walter Sondheim, Jr. had been one of Baltimore’s most important civic leaders for over 50 years.  His accomplishments included oversight of the desegregation of the Baltimore City Public Schools in 1954 when he was president of the Board of School Commissioners of Baltimore City.  Later, he was deeply involved in the development of Charles Center and the Inner Harbor.  He continued to be active in civic and educational activities in the city and state and served as the senior advisor to the Greater Baltimore Committee until his death in February 2007.

Janet Sondheim danced with the pioneering Denishawn Dancers, a legendary dance troupe founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn.  Later, she turned to teaching where she spent 15 years at the Children’s Guild working with severely emotionally disturbed children.  After retirement, she was a volunteer tutor at Highlandtown Elementary School.  She married Walter in 1934, and they were together until her death in 1992.

Artscape

Artscape is America’s largest free arts festival, attracting more than 350,000 attendees over three days. Artscape features 150-plus fine artists, fashion designers and craftspeople; visual art exhibits on and off-site, including exhibitions, outdoor sculpture, art cars, photography and the Janet & Walter Sondheim Prize; incredible live concerts on outdoor stages; a full schedule of performing arts including dance, opera, theater, film, experimental music and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; family events such as hands-on projects, demonstrations, competitions, children’s entertainers and street theater; and a delicious, international menu of food and beverages that is available throughout the festival site. Artscape’s total economic impact on Baltimore City is $25.97 million.

The 2015 Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize is made possible through the generous support of the the Abell Foundation, Alex. Brown & Sons Charitable Foundation, Charlesmead Foundation, Ellen Sondheim Dankert, France-Merrick Foundation, Hecht-Levi Foundation, Legg Mason, M&T Charitable Foundation, Henry & Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Foundation, John Sondheim and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company.

 

For more information on the Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize, call 410-752-8632 or visit www.artscape.org.