21c Museum Hotels, a multi-venue contemporary art museum and award-winning hospitality company, and Artadia, a non-profit grantmaker and nationwide community of visual artists, curators, and patrons, are thrilled to announce André Leon Gray has been selected as the 2023 21c Research Triangle Artadia Awardee.
Launched in Louisville, KY in 2021, the 21c Artadia Award marked the beginning of a long-term partnership, which will annually provide $15,000 in unrestricted funds to one artist living and working in the unique creative communities where 21c Museum Hotels are located. The 21c Artadia Award is designed to provide essential funding and recognition to artists at pivotal points in their careers, strengthen arts communities, and spur new levels of career achievement.
The 21c Research Triangle Award application was open to visual artists currently living and working within Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Harnett, Johnston, Nash, Orange, Person, and Wake counties for a minimum of two years.
“Artadia jurors Ashley James and Hallie Ringle selected three outstanding finalists for the 2023 21c/Artadia award,” says 21c Chief Curator Alice Gray Stites. “Raj Bunnag, André Leon Gray, and Gadisse Lee are all dynamic, thoughtfully engaged artists whose practices reflect the diversity and vibrancy of the arts community in the Research Triangle. 21c congratulates André Leon Gray on being awarded this year’s grant, and we look forward to his growing success and contributions to an expanding art community through compelling work that explores relevant and timely issues.”
Juror Hallie Ringle reflected on the jurying process, “It was a pleasure to review the finalists with Ashley James, a curator I admire and whose insightful comments were critical to the process. I’m grateful to Artadia for the chance to be involved in such a rewarding and thoughtful process that offers such crucial support and recognition to artists.”
About Artadia
Since its founding in 1999, Artadia has awarded over $6 million in unrestricted funds to over 385 artists nationally. Celebrating visual artists and their foundational role in shaping society, the Artadia Award benefits three artists annually in seven major US cities with high concentrations of creative workers—Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Image left to right: André Leon Gray, Fighting in the land of the free, while desiring a better future, 2023; Speak, so you may speak again, 2023; In the absence of light, flip the script in your mind, 2021 (photos courtesy of the artist).
About 21c Museum Hotel Durham
21c Durham includes a 125-room boutique hotel, contemporary art museum, and Counting House restaurant. Standing tall in the center of downtown Durham, the property offers 10,500 square feet of exhibition space featuring rotating, curated contemporary art exhibitions free of charge, seven days a week. Onsite restaurant, Counting House, offers a dining experience with deep ties to the community, featuring seasonal ingredients and products.
For more information, visit 21cDurham.com