New School Prize Goes to Theaster Gates
Submitted by Steve on November 12, 2012
From Randy Kennedy at The New York Times:
The New School has chosen the Chicago artist and activist Theaster Gates as the recipient of its inaugural Vera List Center Prize for Art and Politics, a $15,000 award that will be given to an artist every two years. The prize includes a long-term commitment by the school to aid the winner’s projects through academic study or other means.
The prize commemorates the 20th anniversary of the List Center, named in honor of the philanthropist Vera List, who died in 2002. A noted collector, List devoted her money and time to art and educational institutions, with a focus on programs that promoted social justice. She also played a role in the founding of the New Museum in 1977.