The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, FL
Michael’s On East, 1212 S. East Avenue, Sarasota, FL
The Hermitage Artist Retreat, in partnership with the Philadelphia-based Greenfield Foundation, is pleased to announce that Coco Fusco has been named the recipient of the 2016 Greenfield Prize in visual art. The 30,000 USD prize is given in the form of a commission for a new work of art, based on a proposal submitted to the jury. Fusco will have two years to create the work, which will have its first exhibit at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in the spring of 2018. Members of the jury that selected Fusco were Franklin Sirmans, director of the Perez Art Museum in Miami; Wassan Al-Khudhairi, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama; and Jose Carlos Diaz, curator of exhibitions at the Bass Museum, also in Miami. Non-voting members of the committee included Joni Greenfield, representing the Greenfield Foundation; Facilitator Bruce E. Rodgers, executive director of the Hermitage; Patricia Caswell, Hermitage coordinator of the Greenfield Prize and artist program director; and Matthew McLendon, curator of modern and contemporary art at The Ringling. Runners-up for the Prize, who each receive a 1,000 USD stipend and a six-week residency at the invitation-only retreat, were Diane Al-Hadid, Glenn Kaino and Mika Rottenberg.
“Another hard call and lots of discussion, but in the end, the jury was unanimous in their decision to select Coco Fusco as the 2016 Greenfield Prize winner,” remarked Rodgers at the announcement. “What I have learned about her work is that it crosses international lines and that she is known to tackle difficult subjects head-on. This is just the type of work the Greenfield Prize was designed to inspire. We look forward to meeting Coco, helping her along this new journey and supporting her in whatever way we can to accomplish her goals.”
Coco Fusco is an interdisciplinary artist and writer. She was recently named the Andrew Banks Endowed Professor of Art at the University of Florida in Gainesville, beginning January 2016. Among her many awards and fellowships are the Cintas Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, Absolut Art Writing Award, a Fulbright Fellowship, a US Artists Fellowship, and a Herb Alpert Award in the Arts. Her performances and videos have been presented at numerous biennials including Venice and The Whitney (twice), BAM’s Next Wave Festival, The London International Theatre Festival, and VideoBrasil. She is also a published writer. She received her BA from Brown University, her MA from Stanford University, and her PhD from Middlesex University.
“What great news,” Fusco remarked when she learned she was the 2016 winner. “This is a great honor and the best Christmas present I could get! I am very excited to do this new work. Thank you to everyone!”
Franklin Sirmans, who chaired the jury, commented: “Coco Fusco is an artist whose work is different. You cannot make an exhibition about the ’90s without this artist. She is in the history books. Her submitted project is involving Cuban intellectuals, and is something very suitable for the Greenfield Prize to support. It’s been an honor to be a part of this jury, and I am so pleased to be able to announce the winner.”
Ringling Curator Matthew McLendon, who will be the first to show the new work, continued: “Coco Fusco is an artist whom I have long admired, and it will be a distinct honor working with her over the next two years, bringing this project to our audiences in Sarasota and, of course, beyond.”
On April 2, 2016, Coco Fusco will officially receive her Greenfield Prize at a special presentation dinner at Michael’s On East, Sarasota. For more information on the Greenfield Prize, or to purchase tickets to the dinner, visit www.greenfieldprize.org.
The Hermitage, which administers the Prize, is a not-for-profit artist retreat located at 6660 Manasota Key Road in Englewood, FL. It invites accomplished painters, sculptors, writers, playwrights, poets, composers and other artists from all over the world for residencies on its beachfront historic campus. Artists are asked to contribute two services to the community during their stay and as a result, Hermitage artists touch thousands of Gulf Coast community residents with unique and inspiring programs each year. All Hermitage community programs are partially sponsored by the Women’s Exchange and the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs. In addition to the Greenfield Foundation, the Hermitage partners with the Aspen Music Festival and School to award the annual Hermitage Prize to a composition student during the summer Festival. For more information about The Hermitage Artist Retreat, call T +941 475 2098, ext. 4, or visit the website at www.hermitageartistretreat.org.
