"Need" and its implications became a sticking point. Why should
we consider need at all, and how should we evaluate it? I felt that almost all
under-recognized artists could use some financial support. In fact, so did most
of my panel members; art institutions are notoriously frugal when it comes to
compensation. Because our goal was to promote the awards and the foundation
based on merit, as well as on the size of the cash award, we concluded that a
nominee’s need would not play a role in our decision.Substantial Support
I had arranged to give awards totaling $240,000 because the
foundation portfolio had performed well. We agreed that individual awards of
$30,000 were sizable–higher than the now-defunct NEA prize–and could change
artists’ lives by allowing more studio time, child care or travel money. At that
time, one panel member argued for two large grants of $100,000 each. The Whitney
Biennial had recently unveiled its $100,000 Buxbaum Award, and our panelist
stressed that this largesse was a very important step. But while the panel
agreed that the amount was important, our mission to reach under-recognized
artists compelled us to award multiple recipients with lower sums. The Penny McCall Awards program was successful on several
levels. In the ensuing four years, we distributed a total of $690,000 to 17
artists and to six curators or arts writers. Our foundation has earned repute as
a pioneer for selecting sound artists Stephen Vitiello and Jessica Rylan. The
institutional art world applauded the foundation for acknowledging writers and
critics for the inimitable service they provide. Until the McCall Awards, no
other organization had recognized critical art writing with its own prize. By the end of 2004, I decided it was time for the foundation to
create a large international award to acknowledge artists, arts writers and
curators around the world. Again, we convened a distinguished panel, established
guidelines and began the process. We created the Ordway Prize, a biennial award
named for my great-great aunt Katharine Ordway. The prize recognizes people in
the middle of their careers who have made important contributions to the field
of contemporary arts and letters. The art world has responded very positively to
the program, one of the most generous international art prizes in the world, and
that is immensely gratifying. At a private luncheon in New York last December, I presented
the inaugural Ordway Prizes on behalf of the Penny McCall Foundation. Colombian
artist Doris Salcedo and curator and author Ralph Rugoff won the honors. Each
received $100,000 in unrestricted funds, and each of the two finalists in each
category received $7,500, for a total of $230,000. As director of the foundation
my stepfather founded and my mother shepherded, I savored the moment. Seven years ago, life gave me a remarkable opportunity shrouded in the most
tragic circumstances. Today, I remain enormously grateful for my mother’s
decision to bequeath to me stewardship of her foundation. I am so pleased to be
able to extend the model of philanthropy set by her and Katharine Ordway, and I
welcome the many occasions and opportunities that affiliation with the
foundation has provided. But perhaps the greatest gift they gave me is the
opportunity to spend my life as a student of the arts.
Photograph by Julie Skarratt.
|
