Previous post on related subject: Art Grants: Foolish peaks and absurd valleys.
In Seattle, PONCHO has a great rep. Since its founding in 1963, it has raised $34 million for 200 or so arts organizations. In recent years, as part of a thank-you to artists contributing to its annual auction, PONCHO singles one out for an “Artist of the Year Award,” chosen by vote from other artist participants.
Although it’s an award given more for community service than aesthetic achievement, winners from previous years have tended to be a distinguished lot, including Jacob Lawrence & Gwen Knight, Fay Jones and Juan Alonso.
This year, artists say, PONCHO found another way to select the winner, other than peer vote. And this year, the winner is Judith Kindler, who happens to be on PONCHO”s board of trustees. For me, her paintings belong in that category of visual nicety that dominates what’s on view in galleries around the country, but that’s not the point.
The point is, PONCHO bypassed peer opinion to select a board member. Kindler might have won anyway, had artists voted, but she shouldn’t have been a candidate. She’s a board member. PONCHO relies on its reputation, and this kind of thing doesn’t help.
Calls to PONCHO have not yet been returned. Will update with its response, if I get one.
Update: Jeff Crandall, who works on the annual auction, defended this year’s change of policy.
“We had problems with artists asking their friends to vote for them,” he said. Instead, PONCHO asked a group of people who are not on the board to make the selection, which comes with a $5,000 prize. He said he couldn’t say who was on the selection committee because PONCHO didn’t want them to “get pressure.”
This year, for the first time, there was a no-cash artists’ choice award that went to Rick Araluce. Crandall also noted that Kindler is no longer on the board although she’s still listed as a member on PONCHO’s Web site . She left in September, after she was picked for the award, he said.
An organization that raises money thanks to the generosity of artists thinks artists aren’t capable of playing fair. So it set up an anonymous panel of “experts” to chose from the children which child is best. Have I got that, or am I missing something?
Regina, I have been very honored by Poncho with this award and am sorry to see you put such a negative spin on Poncho integrity whose contribution to the arts in this community are so great. I encourage you to get involved philanthropically in supporting the arts in the Northwest rather than criticizing those organizations who give so much.
To get the facts straight.- I resigned from the Poncho Board over a month prior to the naming of the Artist of the Year Award so I was technically not a Trustee or was I aware that I was even a contender for this award. Even so, past award recipients have included board members. So you are misinformed.
Secondly, Your description of my art clearly reveals that you are unaware of what I do as I haven’t “painted” in years. I work in mixed media, photo based encaustic work, photography and sculptural installation. So again you are misinformed. I would be more than happy for you to come to my studio for a tour of the art so you’re representations are accurate.