Briefing
Rodney McMillian awarded the Suzanne Deal Booth Art Prize; Theaster Gates announces his latest initiative
Rodney McMillian awarded the Suzanne Deal Booth Art Prize; Theaster Gates announces his latest initiative
- The Contemporary Austin, Texas, has announced that Los Angeles-based artist Rodney McMillian has been awarded the inaugural Suzanne Deal Booth Art Prize. McMillian, who in addition to the USD$100,000 prize will be the subject of a solo exhibition at the Jones Center, said: ‘An award such as this can enable an artist to reimagine what is possible for one’s practice or one’s self. In some cases, it could actually be a lifeline.’
- Rebuild Foundation, a non-profit founded by Chicago-based artist and philanthropist Theaster Gates, has announced the launch of Dorchester Industries, a ‘workforce training and apprenticeships initiative for un- or underemployed people across the South Side of Chicago’. Dorchester Industries participants will be paired with Rebuild Foundation’s artists-in-residence and local tradespeople in order to create ‘hands-on opportunities to create and sell new art and design objects’.
- The Louvre Museum’s new conservation facility in Liévin, northern France, could become a temporary repository for world treasures rescued from war zones. Speaking at the unveiling of a plaque for the GBP£55m building, François Hollande, the French president, said: ‘The principle role of the Liévin site will be to house the Louvre Museum’s stored collection … but it could have another role, sadly linked to the events, dramas, tragedies that we see in the world.’
- A new proposal has been drawn up in an attempt to salvage plans to establish a €130m Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki, Finland. The new plan, the third submitted since 2012, sees the level of private funding increase and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation drop its license fee by USD$10m to USD$20m, a sum which would be payable over 20 years. Under these revised guidelines, the City of Helsinki would be expected to cover €80m of the construction cost and underwrite a €35m loan to a company set up jointly with the Guggenheim Helsinki Supporting Foundation. If the City Board of Helsinki approves the proposal, construction could begin in 2019.
- Berlin-based artist Jeremy Shaw has been awarded the 2016 Sobey Art Prize, Canada’s largest contemporary art prize for artists under 40. Shaw was selected from a shortlist that also featured Brenda Draney, William Robinson, Charles Stankievech and Hajra Waheed, becoming the 13th recipient of the award.
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