Artadia is thrilled to announce the launch of the SEEN Award, a new annual award for women-identifying artists. This Award allows Artadia to expand its impactful program to provide recognition specifically for women, continuing its mission of supporting culturally underrepresented voices. 

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. Ancillary programming, including public talks, mentorships, and gatherings will create greater scaffolding beyond the monetary award, further laying the groundwork for a holistic system of support for women artists.

“The SEEN Award goes beyond simply funding—it’s a commitment to creating an encompassing system of support for women-identifying artists,” shared Artadia’s Executive Director Patton Hindle. “By offering additional programming that centers the Awardee in a robust community of woman-identifying leaders in their municipality, we will be able to provide a comprehensive foundation for these artists to thrive. This multi-layered support system ensures that artists are not only recognized for their work, but are empowered with the resources, guidance, and community necessary to sustain and elevate their practice.” 

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 new SEEN Award will be retroactively dedicated to one woman-identifying artist from the current year’s awardees. A public launch will take place at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach during Art Basel Miami Beach on December 3. The inaugural SEEN Award recipient will be selected and announced in January 2025. 

Wolf and Empson are the initial seeders of the fund and will invite other women to join the cause. The Award is funded by women, for women, serving as a key principle that underpins this initiative.

“We’re thrilled to support the inaugural Artadia SEEN Award. For decades, the art world has prioritized male voices, often leaving female artists overlooked. The SEEN Award was conceived as a way to shift that narrative—putting women at the center of the conversation and transforming funding dynamics. As it is funded by women, it embodies the core principle of the Award: empowering women at every level of the arts to support and uplift one another. Now more than ever, we believe it’s crucial to champion women-identifying artists and the vital work they are creating,” said Stacey Empson and Mary Kemper Wolf.

About Stacey Empson
Stacey Empson is a board and healthcare industry executive with strategy, technology and transformation experience at businesses ranging from start-ups to global professional services firms. As a PwC partner for more than a decade, Empson leads work at some of the world’s most recognized healthcare organizations, and she is also appointed to the PwC Foundation Board. Previously, she founded and grew consultancies to acquisition; integrated a firm into a Fortune 50 technology company; and practiced law. Empson was named a Chicago Business Journal Woman of Influence and has served on numerous boards of directors, including the women’s board of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

About Mary Kemper Wolf
Mary Kemper Wolf is a cultural leader, strategist and independent curator. Mary has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art since 2013.  Her current curatorial project entitled JewelHouse, is a collaboration with artist Summer Wheat to convert a former historic planetarium on the grounds of Kansas City Museum into a monumental, site-responsive contemporary artwork. Additionally, she is leading 30X, a national public art and ecology concept to align with the global goal to protect 30% of Earth’s land and water by 2030, she will co-produce the companion documentary film series that will highlight Indigenous-led conservation and restoration efforts in America through contemporary art. Mary’s passion for co-creating impact driven art experiences stemmed from her early-career research on one of America’s most prolific Expressionist painters, Frederick J. Brown, which became the subject of a documentary film she wrote and directed, 120 Wooster Street, which aired on PBS and at The Kennedy Center. She has also served on the boards of Mass MOCA, The American Jazz Museum and Addison Gallery of American Art. She was appointed to the Public Art Executive Committee for Kansas City International Airport and the Art Advisory Committee for CPKC Soccer Stadium (the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a professional women’s team).