Loewe Foundation and Studio Voltaire announce award winners
Work by Curtly Thomas, a visual artist who is one of the Loewe Foundation / Studio Voltaire Award winners (image: Curtly Thomas).
The seven winners of the inaugural Loewe Foundation / Studio Voltaire Award have been announced, each of whom will received rent–free studio space, mentoring and professional development opportunities, curatorial and pastoral support, and a £2,000 bursary.
Fonded by the Loewe Foundation and the not–for–profit arts organisation Studio Voltaire, the award is a two-year programme that aims to increase representation, access and opportunities for artists in London. A second phase of the award, a year–long residency for an international artist to be based at Studio Voltaire, will be announced later this year.
The 2021–2023 awardees are: Ayo Akingbade, Ufuoma Essi, Adam Farah, Nnena Kalu, Djofray Makumbu, Josiah Moktar and Curtly Thomas.
The winners were selected by a jury of curators and artists: Sepake Angiama, artistic director of Iniva; Andrew Bonacina, chief curator of The Hepworth Wakefield; artists Anthea Hamilton and Elizabeth Price; and Studio Voltaire’s Maggie Matić and Joe Scotland.
Angiama said: “I have been humbled by the experience of being part of the selection process. We are at an incredibly difficult crossroads in the arts whereby artists, who are the creative lifeblood of the artistic landscape, are struggling to make work because they don’t have the space to do so. This initiative has been met with an overwhelming response. The calibre of creativity in London is incredible – we need to continue to invest in the development of artists in order to sustain vital and necessary space for art, artists and their communities.”
The winners were selected from more than 500 applicants and will move into their studios from July 2021.
Studio Voltaire’s Matić said: “We were incredibly moved by the volume of high–quality applications we received. The process of receiving and reviewing the applications really surfaced how many artists are struggling to support their practice in the wake of the pandemic and due to structural inequalities within the sector and our wider communities.
“The level of need for opportunities like this, providing sustained and longitudinal support to artists is really pronounced. We are so pleased that through the award, we can go some way in catering to that need. The seven awardees are all at exciting and pivotal stages in their journeys, and we are honoured to welcome them into the artist community at Studio Voltaire, and support them as they take their vital next steps.”
Story source: Studio Voltaire