Artadia is pleased to announce the 2021 Chicago Artadia Awardees:
Artadia is honored to partner with three foundations who have committed to supporting exceptional artists in Chicago with these $10,000 awards. Andrea Carlson is the recipient of The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation Artadia Award; Melissa Leandro is the recipient of The Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation Artadia Award; and Nate Young is the recipient of The Joyce Foundation Artadia Award.
This cycle’s jurors were Mia Lopez, Independent Curator, Chicago and Jade Powers, Assistant Curator, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
Of the process, Jade notes, “Even during an international pandemic, the team at Artadia worked hard to make sure the jurors were able to meet with all the finalists and have engaging and insightful conversation. I appreciate Artadia’s hard work and what they do for artists and enjoyed working with each member and the other juror deeply.”
The 2021 Chicago Artadia Award application was open to visual artists working in any visual media, at any stage in their career, who have been living and working within Chicago Cook County for a minimum of two years. This year’s finalists for the award included Carlos Javier Ortiz, Cecil McDonald, Jr., and Celeste Rapone selected by Cathleen Chaffee, Chief Curator, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo; Denene De Quintal, Assistant Curator, Native American Art, Detroit Institute of Arts; and Mia Lopez, Independent Curator, Chicago.
Since its founding in 1999, Artadia has awarded over $5 million in unrestricted funds to over 350 artists. Celebrating visual artists and the foundational role they play in shaping society, the Artadia Award benefits two artists annually in each of six major US cities with high concentrations of creative workers—Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. Beyond the grant, the Award includes lifelong access to a community of fellow artists and patrons. The Artadia Award is designed to provide essential funding and recognition to artists at pivotal points in their careers, strengthen their communities, and spur new levels of career achievement.
The 2021 Chicago Artadia Awards are generously supported by The Joyce Foundation, the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, The Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation, the Artadia Board of Directors, Artadia Council Members, and individual donors across the country.