Anonymous Was A Woman Award
The Anonymous Was A Woman Award is a program that awards grants to women artists who are over 40 years of age, in part to counter sexism in the art world.[1][2] It began in 1996 in direct response to the National Endowment for the Arts' decision to stop funding individual artists.[2]
Anonymous Was A Woman Award | |
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The award comes with a grant of $25,000 and is designed to enable exceptional woman artists to further develop their work. Awardees are chosen on the basis of their past accomplishments, their originality and artistic growth, and the quality of their work.[1] Since 1996, some 220 women have received the award and approximately 5.5 million USD has been awarded in total.[1][3]
The award was founded by a New York artist who originally chose to remain anonymous.[2] She named the award in reference to a line from Virginia Woolf’s book A Room of One’s Own[1] and in recognition of all the women artists through the ages who have remained anonymous for various reasons.[2] Nominators, who include art writers, curators, art historians, and previous winners, are likewise unnamed.[1]
In July 2018, the artist Susan Unterberg was revealed as both the founder and funder of the award.[4] Before 2018, she had remained anonymous so that her artwork would be evaluated in its own context, without being influenced by her contributions.[3][5] In an interview, she described her reasons for coming forward, stating "It’s a great time for women to speak up. I feel I can be a better advocate having my own voice," and that she can now work openly to further the organization's cause and to encourage philanthropists and women artists.[3] On top of the awarded grants, Unterberg is considering other forms of programs, possibly seminars, to complement the grants.[5]
Award winners
Listed below are the winners of the award.[6]
2019
- Elia Alba - Interdisciplinary
- Marsha Cottrell - Drawing
- Torkwase Dyson - Painting
- Heide Fasnacht - Painting, Drawing, Sculpture
- Nona Faustine - Photography
- Rhodessa Jones - Interdisciplinary
- Jennifer Wen Ma - Visual Art
- Amie Siegel - Interdisciplinary
- Diane Simpson - Sculpture
- Karina Aguilera Skvirsky - Photography, Video, Performance
2018
- Dotty Attie - Painting
- María Magdalena Campos-Pons - Photography, performance, painting, sculpture, film, and video
- Patty Chang - Performance, video, writing, installation
- Beverly Fishman - Painting
- Kate Gilmore - Installation, video, performance
- Heather Hart - Multi-disciplinary
- Deborah Roberts - Mixed media
- Rocío Rodríguez - Painting
- Michèle Stephenson - Film
- Betty Tompkins - Painting
2017
- Nancy Bowen - Sculpture and drawing
- Martha Diamond - Painting
- Stephanie Jackson - Painting
- Jennie C. Jones - Mixed-media
- Marisa Morán Jahn - Sculpture, film, video, public art, performance
- Amalia Mesa Bains - Visual art
- Amy Sherald - Painting
- Michelle Stuart - Visual art
- Mia Westerlund Roosen - Sculpture
- Carrie Yamaoka - Visual art
2016
- Shiva Ahmadi
- Laura Anderson Barbata
- Tania Bruguera
- Sonya Clark
- Simone Leigh
- Medrie MacPhee
- Eiko Otake
- Rona Pondick
- Lourdes Portillo
- Shinique Smith
2015
- Donna Dennis
- Wendy Ewald
- Simone Forti
- Rachel Harrison
- Pam Lims
- Jennifer Montgomery
- Dona Nelson
- Lisa Sanditz
- Lisa Sigal
- Julianne Swartz
2014
2013
2012
2011
- Eleanor Antin
- Linda Besemer
- Dara Birnbaum
- Andrea Bowers
- Ann Hamilton
- Yoko Inoue
- Jungjin Lee
- Mary Miss
- Sheila Pepe
- Judith Shea
2010
2009
2008
- KayLynn Deveney
- Lesley Dill
- Gail Dolgin
- Rochelle Feinstein
- Beryl Korot
- Catherine Lord
- Lorraine O’Grady
- Christy Rupp
- Nancy Shaver
- Frances Stark
2007
- Miriam Beerman
- Lois Conner
- Petah Coyne
- Agnes Denes
- Diane Edison
- Paula Hayes
- Joan Semmel
- Jill Slosburg-Ackerman
- Leslie Thornton
- Carrie Mae Weems
2006
- Xenobia Bailey
- Francis Barth
- Judith Bernstein
- Ellen Bruno
- Terry Evans
- Mary Heilmann
- An-My Le
- Howardena Pindell
- Martha Rosler
- Marie K. Watt
2005
- Nancy Chunn
- Deborah Hoffman
- Sharon Horvath
- Zoe Leonard
- Judy Linn
- Senga Nengudi
- Carolee Schneemann
- Valeska Soares
- Kathryn Spence
- Meg Webster
2004
2003
- Meg Cranston
- Nancy Davenport
- Nancy Dwyer
- Maria Elena Gaitan
- Gillian Jagger
- Nina Katchadourian
- Melissa Miller
- Joan Nelson
- Frances Reid
- Hanneline Rogeberg
2002
2001
- Judith Barry
- Nao Bustamante
- Marta Chilindron
- Anne Chu
- Laura Letinsky
- Yong Soon Min
- Maria Nordman
- Clarissa Sligh
- Mierle Laderman Ukeles
- Jan Yager
2000
1999
- Beth B
- Sheila Batiste
- Ginny Bishton
- Nancy Burson
- Judy Fox
- Judith Linhares
- Ruth Marten
- Renee Stout
- Steina Vasulka
- Cecilia Vicuña
1998
- Polly Apfelbaum
- Cindy Bernard
- Ellen Driscoll
- Jeanne Dunning
- Nene Humphrey
- Joan Jonas
- Sermin Kardestuncer
- Lisa Lewenz
- Ann Messner
- Shelly Silver
1997
- Tomie Arai
- Gretchen Bender
- Nancy B. Davidson
- Cheryl Donegan
- Cheryl Dunye
- Judy Glantzman
- Maria Elena Gonzalez
- Kathy Grove
- Maren Hassinger
- Mary Lucier
- Joyce Scott
1996
- Rachel Berwick
- Gina Lamb
- Claudia Matzko
- Robin Mitchell
- Jeanne Silverthorne
- Shellburne Thurber
- Deborah Willis
- Lucy Winer
- Lynne Yamamoto
- Kim Yasuda
References
- "The Award". Anonymous Was A Woman website.
- Dobrzynski, Judith H. "Anonymous Gifts for Art, So Women Creating It Aren't". New York Times, Oct. 12, 1997.
- Pogrebin, Robin (2018-07-20). "She Gave Millions to Artists Without Credit. Until Now". New York Times. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
- Nechamkin, Sarah (2018-07-20). "Woman Who Anonymously Gave Millions to Female Artists Reveals Herself". The Cut. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
- Cascone, Sarah (2018-07-25). "'The Reaction Has Been Overwhelming': Susan Unterberg Comes Forward as a Major Anonymous Patron of Female Artists". artnet News. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
- "Recipients to Date". Anonymous Was A Woman. Retrieved 2018-07-27.