Valenzuela Wins Texas Contemporary Award

We are pleased to announce that Rodrigo Valenzuela has been awarded the Texas Contemporary Award in Houston last week, a cash prize bestowed to an artist who navigates new and innovative directions in contemporary art. This year's jury included Bill Arning, Director of the CAMH (Contemporary Art Museum Houston) and Anne Ellegood, Senior Curator of the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. The award is particularly timely as Rodrigo recently moved to Houston as a Core Fellow at the Glassell School of Arts, Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

Shortly thereafter, the Seattle Art Museum announced Ralph Pugay as recipient of the 2014 Betty Bowen Award. The annual award "honors a Northwest artist for their original, exceptional, and compelling work." Pugay will receive a cash prize, and a selection of his work will be on view at SAM beginning October, dovetailing with solo and group exhibitions at in Oregon Upfor, Fairbanks Gallery (Corvallis), The Art Gym (Portland) and the Schneider Museum (Ashland).

Congratulations to both artists!

Image: Rodrigo Valenzuela, still from Maria TV, 2014.