New 5.15 million USD gift from Jarl and Pamela Mohn endows future biennials and awards
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The Hammer Museum announced that Kandis Williams will receive the $100,000 Mohn Award honoring artistic excellence, in conjunction with Made in L.A. 2020: a version. The museum will also produce a monograph of Williams’s work as part of the Mohn Award. Monica Majoli will receive the Career Achievement Award honoring brilliance and resilience, and Fulton Leroy Washington (MR. WASH) will receive the Public Recognition Award, as chosen by visitors to the Made in L.A. 2020 exhibition at both the Hammer Museum and The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Majoli and MR. WASH will each receive 25,000 USD.
Funded by Los Angeles philanthropists and art collectors Jarl and Pamela Mohn, the Mohn Awards have been given to artists with each edition of the Made in L.A. biennial, which began in 2012. In conjunction with this year’s awards, the Mohns have committed an additional 5.15 million USD to create two endowments to support future Mohn Awards, the Made in L.A. exhibitions, and acquisitions of emerging or under-recognized artists.
Made in L.A. 2020: a version was organized by independent curators Myriam Ben Salah and Lauren Mackler, with the Hammer’s Ikechukwu Onyewuenyi, assistant curator of performance, in partnership with The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. The exhibition is on view through August 1, 2021.
A jury of professional curators, including Jamillah James, senior curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA); Mia Locks, independent curator; and Diana Nawi, independent curator, selected the Mohn Award and the Career Achievement Award. The jury stated, “The last year has furthered our belief in artists not just as creators but also as active participants in the larger world of art, politics, and culture around them. Each of the awarded artists has an incredible individual practice as well as a vital role in caring for and cultivating their communities. Made in L.A. has long had an ethos that reflects the generosity of exchange that is possible in this city, and this selection of artists embodies the beautifully interdependent nature of cultural production in Los Angeles.”
The Public Recognition Award was determined by visitors to the Hammer Museum and The Huntington. More than 60,000 people have visited the exhibition so far and had the opportunity to vote for their favorite artist in the biennial.
The Mohn Award is among the largest art prizes in the world. The award, along with the Career Achievement Award and Public Recognition Award, is dedicated to recognizing the work of emerging and under-recognized artists based in greater Los Angeles. In 2018, Lauren Halsey received the Mohn Award, Daniel Joseph Martinez received the Career Achievement Award, and EJ Hill received the Public Recognition Award. In 2016, dancer Adam Linder received the Mohn Award, Wadada Leo Smith received the Career Achievement Award, and Kenzi Shiokava received the Public Recognition Award. In 2014, Alice Könitz received the Mohn Award, Magdalena Suarez Frimkess and Michael Frimkess received the Career Achievement Award, and Jennifer Moon received the Public Recognition Award. And in 2012 Meleko Mokgosi received the Mohn Award, which was selected by both a professional jury and the public.
Credit
Made in L.A. 2020: a version was organized by independent curators Myriam Ben Salah and Lauren Mackler, with the Hammer’s Ikechukwu Onyewuenyi, assistant curator of performance, in partnership with The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
Made in L.A. 2020 is presented by Bank of America.
The exhibition is made possible in part by the Mohn Family Foundation and members of the Hammer Circle. Major support is provided by Apple Music, Bill Hair, Mark Sandelson and Nirvana Bravo, Darren Star, The Fran and Ray Stark Foundation, UGG, and VIA Art Fund. Additional funding is provided by Emily and Teddy Greenspan, Michael Silver, Forest Hill Entertainment, and the Pasadena Art Alliance.
This exhibition is part of The Huntington’s Centennial Celebration, which is made possible by the generous support of Avery and Andrew Barth, Terri and Jerry Kohl, and Lisa and Tim Sloan. This exhibition’s presentation at The Huntington is also supported by The Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation, Maribeth and Hal Borthwick, and The Ahmanson Foundation Exhibition and Education Endowment.
Made in L.A.: a version is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Media contact
Nancy Lee, T 310-443-7016, nlee [at] hammer.ucla.edu
