Artadia, a non-profit grantmaking organization and nationwide community of visual artists, curators, and patrons, is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2024 Boston Artadia Awards: Funlola Coker, the Wagner Foundation Boston Artadia Award recipient; Evelyn Rydz, the Liberty Mutual Artadia Award recipient and Gabriel Sosa.

The 2024 Boston Artadia Awards application was open to visual artists working in any visual media, at any stage in their career, who have been living and working within Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk Counties for a minimum of two years. We received 302 applications, with 44% of the applicants identifying as Arab, Asian, biracial or multiracial, Black, Latinx Native American or Alaskan Native; 69% as women, gender nonconforming, or nonbinary; and 42% as emerging artists. 

The Awards decision was reached after an extensive two-tiered jurying process. This year’s finalists for the Awards included Sharon Harper, Marcel Marcel, and Yu-Wen Wu, selected by Round 1 jurors Eric Booker, Associate Curator, Storm King Art Center; Erin Christovale, Assistant Curator, Hammer Museum; and Kristin Parker, Lead Curator and Manager of the Arts, Boston Public Library.

On sponsoring and selecting the recipient of the Liberty Mutual Artadia Award, Christina Gerber, Liberty Mutual, said “It is a pleasure to support these Awards and have the honor of selecting a Liberty Mutual Artadia Award winner for the third consecutive year. At Liberty, we are passionate about supporting artists of all ages, from all backgrounds, across various art forms. We believe in a strong future for the arts, and again we are assured by the high standard of entries that the future is bright.”

Gerber continued, “Evelyn’s multidisciplinary work is truly thought-provoking, highlighting the importance of communities and collaboration in addressing the challenges we face. Evelyn incorporates issues such as immigration, threats to natural and cultural ecosystems, and public health into work.”

“We are honored to partner with Artadia in giving unrestricted awards to Greater Boston artists, and to name Funlola Coker as the 2024 Wagner Artadia Awardee,” shared Charlotte Wagner, Founder and CEO of Wagner Foundation. “We believe in the vibrant artist community that is thriving locally and are thrilled to support all the awardees in furthering their practice and continuing their careers here.”

“It’s an honor to be a part of Artadia’s 2024 Boston Awards, an important organization whose regional support of artists ensures that their work receives wider critical recognition,” remarked Booker. “This year’s finalists reflect the spectrum of artistic production happening on the ground in Boston, as artists engage everything from the diasporic experience and environmental concerns to language and public space, reflecting subjects that resonate on both local and global scales.”

All six finalists held virtual studio visits with jurors Kristin Parker joined by M. Rachael Arauz, Independent Curator.

“Serving as a juror for the Boston Artadia awards was an incredible opportunity to spend time with some of the area’s most exciting artists, and to learn more about the variety of ideas, materials, strategies, and processes they use to enliven our creative community. It was also a pleasure to be in conversation with fellow juror Kristin Parker, with a range of thoughtful questions and observations in our deliberations,” shared Arauz.

Read the full press release or the announcement in Boston Art Review.