Contact: Dara Katrina Del Rosario
Communications & Partnerships Manager
media@somarts.org
July 27, 2021
SOMArts and San Francisco Foundation celebrates the future of Bay Area arts at The Annual Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition
On View: Saturday, September 11–Sunday, October 3, 2021
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SOMArts Cultural Center and San Francisco Foundation presents The Annual Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition, a focused look at the future of the Bay Area visual and media arts landscape, on view Saturday, September 11–Sunday, October 3, 2021. The exhibition kicks off with an opening and awards ceremony on Friday, September 10, 6–8 PM PST. Created with accessibility at the forefront, the show can be viewed online on SOMArts’ Virtual Gallery Experience page starting Saturday, September 11, 2021.
This multidisciplinary showcase features the work of 16 promising visual artists from regional Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) programs and identifies students whose work connects directly to the local, national, and global concerns of the arts field. All awardees benefit by receiving mentorship from renowned artist and curator Kevin B. Chen and SOMArts Cultural Center.
The Jack K. and Gertrude Murphy Award is given to one MFA student of exceptional caliber with great artistic promise. This year’s Jack K. and Gertrude Murphy awardee is Ahn Lee of University of California, Berkeley whose interdisciplinary practice of ceramics, media and performance relies on a combined methodology of autobiographical re-making and research on the Cantonese diaspora.
Edwin Anthony and Adalaine Boudreaux Cadogan both experienced financial challenges as art students and understood the great difference scholarships can make in the early phase of an artist’s career. The 15 Cadogan scholarship awardees include Adrienne Defendi who activates a variety of mediums to chart elements of loss and ritual, and the boundless possibilities within reiteration and experimentation, Katayoun Bahrami who accesses personal memory through photography, mixed media, video, and textile to juxtapose her home country of Iran to her current reality, and Krystal Ramirez who uses building materials to include conversations on race, class, gender, and more nuanced American experiences in both formalism and minimalism.
The winners of the Cadogan Scholarships each receive support for their MFA studies.
“Through the partnership with San Francisco Foundation and the mentorship of Kevin B. Chen, this annual awards exhibition showcases the creative ingenuity and brilliance that emerges from the Bay Area,” says Maria Jenson, SOMArts’ Creative & Executive Director.
The Annual Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition
2021 Awardees
Murphy Award
Ahn Lee, University of California Berkeley
Cadogan Award
Katayoun Bahrami, California College of the Arts
Andrew Catanese, Stanford University
Erica Deeman, University of California Berkeley
Adrienne Defendi, San Jose State University
Edgar Fabián Frías, University of California Berkeley
Katharine T. Jacobs, San Jose State University
Ester Karnoski, California College of the Arts
Bryce LeFort, California College of the Arts
Natasha Loewy, San Francisco State University
Rivka Valérie Louissaint, University of California Berkeley
Miguel Novelo, Stanford University
Krystal Ramirez, Stanford University
Haley Marie Summerfield, San Francisco State University
Kelsey Rae Thomas, Mills College
Eve J. Werner, San Francisco Art Institute
Curator
Kevin B. Chen
Calendar Listings
The Annual Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition
Saturday, September 11–Sunday, October 3, 2021
This exhibition showcases 16 emerging artists working across disciplines and identifies artists whose practices intersect with rising trends in the arts.
To learn more visit: https://somarts.org/event/murphycadogan2021/
Opening and Awards Ceremony
Friday, September 10, 6–8 PM PST
Celebrate this year’s awardees with this free opening and awards ceremony!
To learn more visit: https://somarts.org/event/murphycadoganopening2021/
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About SOMArts Cultural Center
SOMArts Cultural Center, founded in 1979, cultivates access to the arts within the Bay Area by collaborating with community-focused artists and organizations. Together, we engage the power of the arts to provoke just and fair inclusion, cultural respect and civic participation.
SOMArts plays a vital role in the arts ecosystem by helping activate the arts citywide. We do this by providing space and production support for non-profit events, as well as fairs and festivals throughout the Bay Area, and offering a robust program of art exhibitions, classes, events and performances that are affordable and accessible to all. SOMArts’ exhibition programs receive critical support from the San Francisco Arts Commission and The San Francisco Foundation, and are sponsored in part by a grant from Grants for the Arts.
SOMArts is located at 934 Brannan Street—between 8th and 9th—within 2 blocks of 101, I-80, Muni lines and bike paths. For public information call 415-863-1414 or visit somarts.org. Stay connected by following us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About San Francisco Foundation
The San Francisco Foundation is committed to a Bay Area where everyone can get a good job, live in a safe and affordable home, and exercise their political voice. The foundation advances its work through grantmaking, partnerships with donors, policy advocacy, and impact investing.
Learn more about the Murphy Award and Cadogan Scholarships.
