The 14th Annual Aurora Award Dinner With Honoree Carolee Schneemann in Attendance Thursday, October 23rd, 6:00PM Chair: Judy Nyquist Tickets start at $350 and go up to $3000
In the tradition of recognizing an artist who has exhibited extraordinary originality in the field of moving image art, Aurora Picture Show will honor internationally renowned artist Carolee Schneemann with the 2014 Aurora Award in Houston, TX. The award will be presented at the 14th annual Aurora Award Dinner held on Thursday, October 23, 2014 at Aurora Picture Show (2442 Bartlett Street). Chaired by Judy Nyquist, the event will support the artistic and educational programs of Aurora Picture Show, contributing to the success of a nationally recognized arts organization while ensuring that Houston residents continue to be able to engage with some of the best moving image art being created today.
This year's honoree Carolee Schneemann has been a pioneer of performance, body art, avant-garde cinema, and multi-disciplinary art for five decades. Schneemann's bold work has challenged notions of gender, identity and the body and has influenced countless artists throughout her career. Her work has been exhibited extensively including a recent solo exhibition at the Hales Gallery in London and a retrospective screening at Anthology Film Archives. Schneemann is the recipient of numerous grants and awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Gottlieb Foundation Grant, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the College Art Association.
Of Carolee Schneemann, an article in The Guardian (London) stated, "The artist, now 73, has spent her life smashing taboos and shocking audiences. She was at the forefront of movements that only later came to be known as body art, performance art and feminist art, paving the way for the likes of Marina Abramović, Cindy Sherman, Tracey Emin - and even Lady Gaga." Schneemann remarked, "My work became a bridge that had to be crossed by young feminists working with their bodies."
Aurora Picture Show's Aurora Award Dinners are unparalleled events honoring some of the most significant media artists of our time. The Aurora Award is an honor given to an artist who has exhibited extraordinary originality in the field of moving image art. This event is also the most important annual fundraiser for Aurora, providing the foundation of support for the next season of screening events, in addition to education programs.
Each year Aurora's Curator Mary Magsamen selects a Texas-based artist to create an art piece representative of the Aurora Award. This year, Houston artist Nancy Douthey will create a piece that will be presented to Carolee Schneemann during the award presentation at the dinner. Attendees to the intimate Aurora Award Dinner are treated to a meal catered by City Kitchen, a video screening of exclusive works from the artist, and a brief award ceremony. Tickets start at $350 with early bird pricing options. Attire is casual cocktail.
Special thanks to Elaine Bradford, Thedra Cullar-Ledford, Kia Neill and Beth Secor for their artistic contribution to the event.
Past Aurora Award honorees include Bill Viola (2013), Laurie Simmons (2012), Joan Jonas (2011), Christian Marclay (2010), Doug Aitken (2009), Steina and Woody Vasulka (2007), Miranda July (2006), Isaac Julien (2005), Ant Farm (2004), Laurie Anderson (2003), William Wegman (2002), and Tony Oursler (2001).
