The Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize Finalists Exhibition

The 18th-Annual Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize, which awards a $30,000 fellowship to assist in furthering the career of a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living and working in the greater Baltimore region, opens in July with a finalists’ exhibition at the Walters Art Museum.

The three finalists selected for this year’s competition are Kyrae Dawaun, Nekisha Durrett, and Abigail Lucien. Their work will be on view from July 19 through September 3. The winner of the 2023 Sondheim Art Prize, chosen by this year’s jurors, will be announced during a special reception and award ceremony at the museum. Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA) will also award two residencies to finalists not selected for the Sondheim Art Prize: a six-week, fully funded residency at Civitella Ranieri in the Umbria region of Italy and a six-month residency at the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower in Baltimore.

Jurors for the 2023 competition are Kelly Baum, John and Mary Pappajohn Director of the Des Moines Art Center; Devin N. Morris, Brooklyn-based artist; and Ingrid Schaffner, Curator at Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas.

The Sondheim exhibition brings together artists from disciplines including painting, photography, sculpture, animation, and fiber craft. Named in honor of the philanthropists and civic leaders Janet and Walter Sondheim, the Sondheim exhibition is co-organized by BOPA, which serves as the city’s arts council, events producer, and film office, in addition to organizing free city-wide events.

Civitella Ranieri is a residency program for international writers, composers, and visual artists. Since 1995, Civitella has hosted more than 1,000 fellows and director’s guests and enables its fellows to pursue their work and to exchange ideas in a unique and inspiring setting.

The Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower has been transformed into studio spaces for visual and literary artists.  located at 21 S. Eutaw Street in the heart of the Bromo Arts and Entertainment District, the 15-story city landmark is the ideal location for artists to explore their practice.

The 18th-Annual Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize finalists will participate in an artists talk at the Walters on Thursday, July 27.

The Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize is produced by Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts and presented by M&T Bank with the generous support of Maryland State Arts Council.

The exhibition at the Walters Art Museum is made possible through the combined generosity of individual donors, foundations, corporations, and grants from the City of Baltimore, Maryland State Arts Council, Citizens of Baltimore County, and Howard County Government and Howard County Arts Council.

Image: Nekisha Durrett, Queen City (vessels being prepped for installation), 2023, reclaimed brick, concrete, steel, handmade ceramic vessels, lighting; Abigail Lucien, Holding Your Name Like Butter in Your Palm, 2021, cocoa butter, bronze, sea salt, chicken feet, matches, soy wax, acrylic and vinyl on steel; Kyrae Dawaun, Luther, 2022, oil on wood.