The Columbia Museum of Art Contemporaries host the ninth annual Contemporaries’ Artist of the Year Soirée and Silent Auction on Friday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. The event, established in 2004, is designed to increase awareness of and support for nearly 60 emerging artists in South Carolina. Tickets for the CAY Soirée and Silent Auction are $30 / $15 for Contemporaries members and includes food, drinks, music and a performance by members of the USC Opera. To purchase tickets, visit columbiamuseum.org.
This year, the jury includes – Executive Director of Redux Contemporary Art Center in Charleston, SC, Janie Askew; Professor of modern art history and theory, Brad Collins; Museum curator of decorative arts, Brian Lang; and Assistant Director and Chief Curator at the Sumter County Gallery of Art, Frank McCauley. The jury selects the artwork to be in the silent auction and also selects one winner, the Contemporaries’ Artist of the Year, based upon the following criteria: originality of concept, technical execution, consistency, professionalism and the degree to which the work was aesthetically interesting.
The CAY award is generously supported by Anne and Alex Postic and a matching gift from the Contemporaries. The winner receives a cash prize of $2,500. Event guests vote on the People’s Choice award, and the winner is presented with an award and a cash prize of $300. Jasper Magazine is sponsoring the “State-of-the-Art” award, which includes a $200 cash prize and a feature in an upcoming issue of Jasper.
About the Contemporaries
The Contemporaries mission is to provide an opportunity to support the Museum through: promoting the Museum and its programs, diversifying the Museum’s membership, and leading the next generation of Museum supporters. A portion of the proceeds from the Artist of the Year Soirée goes toward the Contemporaries’ Art Acquisition Fund, designed to acquire a significant piece of art for the Museum. For more information about Contemporaries’ membership, visit www.columbiacontemporaries.com or call 803.343.2197.