The national non-profit arts organization Artadia is thrilled to announce Michelle Yi Martin as the recipient of the 2025 SEEN Award.

Now in its second year, the SEEN Award is a distinction given to one woman-identifying artist from the pool of current year’s Awardees, continuing Artadia’s mission of supporting culturally underrepresented voices. In addition to their Artadia Award, the SEEN Awardee receives tailored ancillary programming and support, designed with the unique needs of the Awardee in mind. Originated by visionary leaders and long-time friends Stacey Empson and Mary Kemper Wolf, the SEEN Award seeks to shift the long-standing dynamics of the art world that have favored male artists by recognizing a woman-identifying artist at a pivotal stage in her career.

“We are honored to recognize Michelle Yi Martin as the recipient of Artadia’s 2nd Annual SEEN Award, celebrating an artist whose work embodies profound depth, integrity, and human connection,” shared Empson and Kemper Wolf. “Yi Martin’s practice is anchored in a deep respect for process and a holistic storytelling that transcends conventional boundaries—inviting viewers into complex narratives woven from memory, place, and lived experience. Her work’s quiet power is rooted not in spectacle but in sincerity, reflection, and a deep attunement to the subtleties of human life. Yi Martin allows materials, context, and community to coalesce in ways that enrich both form and meaning. Whether collaborating with others, drawing from shared histories, or opening spaces for collective reflection, Yi Martin’s creative process models empathy as a practice. She situates her work not just as objects to be seen, but as relationships to be felt, shared, and lived.”

“The SEEN Award has come at the perfect time as I reflect on my practice, and I map a path in this ever-changing art ecosystem,” shared Yi Martin. “I recognize that no one travels alone, and to have the support and resources from Artadia allows for me to be acknowledged as an individual artist while simultaneously being a part of a larger community of women leaders. My heart is full and wide open to the world.”

Each year, Artadia successfully conducts open calls in each of the seven program cities—Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Three Awardees are chosen in each city to receive unrestricted funds of $15,000. The SEEN Award is retroactively dedicated to one woman-identifying artist from the current year’s Awardees. Michelle Yi Martin is a recipient of the 2025 San Francisco Bay Area Artadia Awards.

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