Friday, May 8
Galerie Eva Presenhuber to Open Third Zurich Gallery
Galerie Eva Presenhuber, which maintains spaces in Zurich and New York, will open its third location in the Swiss city on June 5. Situated at Waldmannstrasse 6, the gallery’s inaugural exhibition will feature new paintings and collages by artist Sue Williams. Dealer Eva Presenhuber said in a statement, “It is a very peculiar situation to expand during a worldwide crisis, but I am thankful that our plans to open this third gallery in Zurich may proceed undeterred.”
Thursday, May 7
Artadia Names Winners of 2020 New York Awards
Alexandra Bell and Joiri Minaya have won Artadia’s fifth annual New York Artadia Awards, which comes with an unrestricted grant of $10,000 for each artist. The two New York–based artists were chosen through a jury process that included Legacy Russell, associate curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and Kelly Taxter, a curator at the Jewish Museum. The other three artists shortlisted for the award were American Artist, Tommy Kha, and Tammy Nguyen. Read more about Artadia’s support for artists in an article from ARTnews’s Spring 2020 issue.
Adjani Okpu-Egbe Wins Inaugural Ritzau Art Prize
Cameroonian painter and installation artist Adjani Okpu-Egbe is the recipient of the inaugural Ritzau Art Prize administered by the International Studio & Curatorial Program in collaboration with the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair and funded by Tauck Ritzau Innovative Philanthropy. Okpu-Egbe was chosen from a pool of artists based in the African continent that had work featured in the 1-54 New York fair’s online edition in 2020, and selected by a jury which included Whitney Museum curator Adrienne Edwards and artist Olu Oguibe. Okpu-Egbe, who was selected for his expressionistic mixed media works which investigate the legacy of colonialsim in his native Cameroon and beyond, will now receive an ISP residency.
Inaugural Edition of the Helsinki Biennial Postponed to 2021
The inaugural edition of the Helsinki Biennial, which was originally scheduled to open on June 12, has been pushed back a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Its new dates are June 12, 2021 through September 26, 2021. In the meanwhile, organizers will focus on reimagining special events planned to take place at various locations on the island of Vallisaari and mainland Helsinki. Biennial director and head of the Helsinki Art Museum Maija Tanninen-Mattila said in a statement, “Museums now have the possibility to discuss new ways of producing art events, as well as the services and the user experiences linked to them.” Adding, “The appetite for virtual and digital interaction is now larger than ever, and we will take this into consideration when planning the biennial for 2021.”
The inaugural edition of the Helsinki Biennial, which was originally scheduled to open on June 12, has been pushed back a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Its new dates are June 12, 2021 through September 26, 2021. In the meanwhile, organizers will focus on reimagining special events planned to take place at various locations on the island of Vallisaari and mainland Helsinki. Biennial director and head of the Helsinki Art Museum Maija Tanninen-Mattila said in a statement, “Museums now have the possibility to discuss new ways of producing art events, as well as the services and the user experiences linked to them.” Adding, “The appetite for virtual and digital interaction is now larger than ever, and we will take this into consideration when planning the biennial for 2021.”
Michigan State University Names New Director of Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum
Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, who most recently helmed the Newcomb Art Museum at Tulane University in New Orleans, has been appointed director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University. Ramírez-Montagut has previously worked as senior curator at the San Jose Museum of Art in California.
Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, who most recently helmed the Newcomb Art Museum at Tulane University in New Orleans, has been appointed director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University. Ramírez-Montagut has previously worked as senior curator at the San Jose Museum of Art in California.
Wednesday, May 6
Royal Academy in London Names New Keeper
Artist Cathie Pilkington has been appointed as the keeper of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, where she has previously served as royal academician and professor of sculpture. In her new post, Pilkington will work closely with the institution’s president to guide the Royal Academy schools. She is known for her immersive installations that incorporate sculptures, furniture, props, and more.
Tuesday, May 5
Yilmaz Dziewior Picked to Curate Venice Biennale’s German Pavilion
The German Pavilion at the 2021 Venice Biennale will be curated by Yilmaz Dziewior, director of the Museum Ludwig in Cologne. An artist for the pavilion, which is typically among the most closely watched at the Biennale, has not yet been announced, though Dziewior said in a statement that the pavilion would reflect “the social importance of cultural production, which is more relevant than ever in these challenging times.”
Monday, May 4
Group of Nonprofits Launch Relief Fund for L.A. County Visual Artists
The California Community Foundation and the J. Paul Getty Trust, along with three artist foundations, have launched the Relief Fund for L.A. County Visual Artists to provide direct support grants of up to $2,000 to artists based in Los Angeles County who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The fund will distribute a total $655,000, with money coming from the CCF’s endowment and biennial fellowship program, along with contributions from the Getty, the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, the Sam Francis Foundation, and the Shepard and Amanda Fairey Foundation. The organizations are also calling on other foundations and partners to contribute to the fund. As part of the application process, artists will give an online presentation on their work and describe their financial needs.
Longtime Dallas Museum of Art Patron Dies
The Dallas Museum of Art in Texas has announced the passing of entrepreneur and Broadway producer S. Roger Horchow, who was a longtime patron of the institution. Horchow joined the DMA board of trustees and its membership committee in 1974, eventually serving tenures as vice president of the board, chair of the marketing & development committee and as a member of the committee on collections, among others. He and his wife, Carolyn, funded the creation of a lecture series and auditorium. “His leadership and support of the DMA has played an important role in making our Museum the dynamic place it is today,” said DMA director Agustín Arteaga in a statement.
VIA Art Fund Awards Emergency Relief Grants
VIA Art Fund, a Boston-based nonprofit that partners with artists, curators, and spaces worldwide to support creative projects, will award $342,000 in unrestricted emergency relief funding to 24 small arts nonprofit organizations in the continental United States. Recipients of the grants include the SculptureCenter in New York, Midway Contemporary Art in Minneapolis, and the Underground Museum in Los Angeles. The full list of recipients is available here.