2017 Murphy & Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition

SOMArts is proud to partner with The San Francisco Foundation to present The Annual Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition, a focused look at the future of the Bay Area visual arts, September 7–29, 2017. The exhibition, made possible by The San Francisco Foundation and its donors, showcases 18 promising visual artists working across disciplines and identifies young artists from Master of Fine Arts programs throughout the Bay Area whose work intersects with emerging trends.

The competitive Jack and Gertrude Murphy Award and the Edwin Anthony and Adalaine Boudreaux Cadogan Scholarships are administered by The San Francisco Foundation. The awards are designed to further the development of Bay Area MFA students and foster the exploration of their artistic potential in hybrid practice, installation, mixed media, painting, photography and sculpture.

The Jack and Gertrude Murphy Award of $40,000 is given to an MFA student of unusual caliber with great artistic promise. Edwin Anthony and Adalaine Boudreaux Cadogan both experienced financial challenges as art students and understood the great difference scholarships can make in the early phase of an artist’s career. The winners of the Cadogan Scholarships receive $6,500 each to support their MFA studies. All the students benefit from participation in a professionally curated exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center.

Award recipients were selected by a panel of three judges including artist and independent curator Kevin B. Chen; Dr. Lizzetta LeFalle-Collins, Faculty, University of San Francisco; and Maria Ester Fernandez, Curator of Art & Education, Triton Museum of Art, San Jose.

For the first time this year, SOMArts will host a day-long summit focused on advancing equity in arts education in conjunction with the Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition. Featuring interactive panel discussions and live performances, the summit will bring together emerging artists, students, educators and arts administrators to discuss how arts education can better prepare and equip all students for future careers in the arts.

The exhibition and all accompanying events are free to attend and take place at SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St. (between 8th and 9th) in San Francisco, CA.

The Annual Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition
September 7–29, 2017
Gallery hours: Tuesday–Friday, 12–7pm & Saturday, 12–5pm

Opening Reception & Awards Ceremony
Thursday, September 7, 6:30–9pm, ceremony at 7pm

Advancing Equity in Arts Education Summit
An afternoon of artist-led creative workshops, panel presentations and performances to advance equity in arts education.
Saturday, September 16, 1–4pm
Free with RSVP: artsequitysummit.eventbrite.com

ABOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION
The San Francisco Foundation focuses on expanding opportunity and ensuring a more equitable future for all in the Bay Area. With more than $1.3 billion in assets, The San Francisco Foundation is one of the largest community foundations in the country, and working with its donors, distributed nearly $100 million to nonprofit organizations in the last year. The foundation brings together donors and builds on community assets through grantmaking, public policy, advocacy, and leadership development to make a greater impact in our community. The San Francisco Foundation serves San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo Counties. sff.org

Image credit: The Murphy & Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition 2017, photo by Chani Bockwinkel.