The Herb Alpert Foundation and California Institute of the Arts announce the 2016 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts recipients; Five $75,000 prizes given annually in the categories of: Dance, Film/Video, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts

The Herb Alpert Foundation and California Institute of the Arts announce the 2016 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts recipients

Five $75,000 prizes given annually in the categories of:
Dance, Film/Video, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts

May 4, 2016

Santa Monica, California — The Herb Alpert Foundation and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) will award the 22nd annual Herb Alpert Award in the Arts (HAAIA) to five exceptional mid–career artists at a lunch hosted by Herb Alpert, Lani Hall, the Herb Alpert Foundation and CalArts in Santa Monica on May 6, 2016.

2016 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts winners

Photos of 2016 winners here courtesy of Herb Alpert Award in the Arts.

Herb Alpert said of the 2016 HAAIA winners, “The artists that are chosen for the Herb Alpert Award work at the edge of their field and risk is an essential factor in this prize. I admire the unapologetic dedication of these five artists who always look for the road less traveled.”

LA Times Arts and Culture article by Carolina A. Miranda

The awards recognize the past performance and future promise of artists working in Dance, Film/Video, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts; an outstanding candidate in each genre receives an unrestricted prize of $75,000.

To celebrate the 22 years of the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, the Herb Alpert Foundation commissioned an extraordinary short film about the prize and the people it has touched.

“The Herb Alpert Foundation is committed to supporting artists who challenge, inform and investigate the world through their art. We are proud to support their creative energy, freedom of thought, and hard work,” says Rona Sebastian, President of the Herb Alpert Foundation. “These unique, often unconventional artists have proven to have powerful impact. It is gratifying to watch their career trajectories after receiving the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts and to see how their participation in the CalArts residencies helps to inspire a new generation of artists.”

The California Institute of the Arts, more commonly referred to as CalArts, has administered the awards since their inception. CalArts President Steven D. Lavine said, “CalArts is proud to be associated with the Herb Alpert Foundation in the design and implementation of the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts. Each year the recipients reflect what is most vital at the cutting edges of contemporary culture. Their residencies at CalArts open up new possibilities to our students in remarkable ways.”

“This year’s winners have their ears tuned as much to the roiling culture as to inner imperatives. They are artists who provoke, uncover, celebrate, and engage,” says Irene Borger, Director of the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts. She describes why they were chosen.

DANCE:
Ishmael Houston–Jones, for the fierce, raw originality and progression of his visceral, kinesthetic work, the ways he grapples with tenderness and loss and for the not–easy practice of living without a safety net and staying the course.

FILM/VIDEO:
Cauleen Smith, for her unique, visionary voice, poetic imprint on the medium, mastery of craft, ethics, and sustained practice of risk–taking.

MUSIC:
Dohee Lee, for her commitment to creativity and experimentation, her ability to give new life to ancient forms, create new environments — and new audiences — and her powerful, transformative vision.

THEATRE:
Anne Washburn, for her fearlessness, brilliance, wild imagination, originality, theatrical ambition, and for surprising audiences throughout her career with each new play.

VISUAL ARTS:
Simone Leigh, for her rich field of inquiry, willingness to move forward into the unknown, spirit of adventure and collaboration; in short, for her urgent, necessary work.

For more information about the Awards, please visit:
www.herbalpertawards.org
www.herbalpertfoundation.org