The James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking

The James D. Phelan Art Awards were established by the trust of James D. Phelan (1861-1930), former San Francisco Mayor, United States Senator, and arts supporter, to recognize the achievements of California-born artists in a variety of disciplines. The Phelan Art Awards are also given in photography, film and video and are part of the Awards Program of The San Francisco Foundation. The James D. Phelan Art Award in Printmaking honors three California-born artists with a $2,500. cash prize and an exhibition at the Kala Gallery. This year’s esteemed juror Janet Bishop, Curator of Painting and Sculpture at SFMOMA, selected the three artists from a competitive field of artists working in a wide array of print processes. In her own words, Ms. Bishop based her selection of Jesse Gottesman, Cynthia Ona Innis and Matthew Hopson-Walker on the following comments:

Jesse Gottesman was chosen for his compelling body of work related to the sea and sky, with its evocative imagery and for the combination of his aquatints and experimental works on mylar.

Cynthia Ona Innis for the beauty of her imagery, the way in which she synthesizes and layers various styles and techniques within her practice, and how her work blurs the boundaries between traditionally discrete mediums.

Matthew Hopson-Walker for the way his work engages American popular culture, for his inventive integration of printmaking and packaging, and for the effective way his work both draws upon collective experience and requires personal interaction.

In addition to the exhibition and reception for the three artists, there will also be an awards ceremony held at the office of The San Francisco Foundation on Tuesday, October 18, 2005, 5:30 – 8:00 pm. The ceremony will acknowledge the awardees in a variety of other artistic and literary disciplines. The San Francisco Foundation is located at 225 Bush Street, Suite 500 in San Francisco and can be reached at 415-733-8500.