Rising Voices 3: The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters Traveling Exhibition

The Muskegon Museum of Art is proud to present, in partnership with the Pittsburgh Foundation, Rising Voices 3: The Bennett Prize for Figurative Women Realist Painters.

The exhibition is held in conjunction with The Bennett Prize, a stipend/grant-in-aid program established by American art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt. The $50,000 Bennett Prize is awarded biennially to a woman fine art painter whose principal artistic focus is figurative painting in a primarily realistic style.

The Bennett Prize seeks to encourage the pursuit of figurative realism by women painters and provides support over two years to a select painter whose work demonstrates excellence in the genre. The Prize is awarded biennially by a changing panel of artists and museum and fine arts professionals.

Visit the official site at https://thebennettprize.org

THE EXHIBITION

Rising Voices 3 is comprised of paintings by the ten 2023 Bennett Prize finalists and by 2021 Prize winner Ayana Ross. The 3,000+ square foot exhibition will include approximately 40 paintings. All of the artworks incorporate the realistic portrayal of the human figure.

The 2023 finalists will be announced Nov. 29, 2022. The Prize winner will be announced May 18, 2023 at the exhibition premiere.

The exhibition is accompanied by a full color catalogue.

*Images shown here are from the Rising Voices 3 Finalists

Space and Installation Requirements

The exhibition requires a minimum of 3,000 square feet. See the checklist for artwork images, media, and size. A link to hi-res images is available upon request.

Fees

The exhibition leasing fee is $7,500 for a 12-week time period. Fee includes shipping. Time periods are flexible based on availability.

Security Requirements

Medium security. During public hours the exhibition must be under surveillance by trained security personnel or staff. After hours the gallery must, at a minimum, be locked with electronic security and alarms engaged.

Environment & Lighting

Gallery HVAC must be maintained at 70 degrees F +/- 5 degrees and 50% RH +/- 5%. No direct sunlight is permitted and lighting must be UV filtered with light levels not to exceed 18 foot candles. Borrowers must supply a facilities report prior to the delivery of the exhibition.

Shipping

Muskegon Museum of Art staff will coordinate shipping between venues. Shipping costs are included in the rental fee.

Booking Information

Bookings will be accepted in the order they are received. While tentative holds are accepted, a signed contract with a deposit of $1,000 holds a firm reservation. Cancellation fees apply. For further information, or to book the exhibition, contact Art Martin at (231) 720-2582 or amartin@muskegonartmuseum.org.

Venues

The Exhibition is available for  slots of up to 12 weeks. Venue periods are flexible with advance notice. Dates will be booked to allow a minimum of one week to install and one week to deinstall the show. Length of shipping periods will be determined by distance and availablity of transportation.

Rising Voices 3 Availability:

May 18 – Sept. 10, 2023: Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI

Oct. 16, 2023 – Jan. 1, 2024: Arnot Museum of Art, Elmira, NY

Feb. 5 – April 28, 2024: Customs House Museum and Cultural Center, Clarksville, TN

May 20 – Aug. 11, 2024: Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Sept. 2 – Dec. 1, 2024: Bo Bartlett Center, Columbus, GA

Jan. 6, 2025 – Mar. 30, 2025: Open

Apr. 20 – July 6, 2025: Studio Incamminati, Philadelphia, PA

Rising Voices 4 Availability:

May 22 – Aug. 24, 2025: Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI

Oct. 13, 2025 – Jan. 2, 2026: Open

Feb. 9 – April 24, 2026: Open

June 8 – Aug. 28, 2026: Open

Sept. 14 – Dec. 4, 2026: Open

Jan. 4, 2027 – April 2, 2027: Open

April 23 – July 9, 2027: Open

Ayana Ross, SWBAT: Learn

Ayana Ross creates visual narratives that explore issues of identity and cultural awareness while highlighting moments of racial disparities, intergenerational mobility, and progress among African Americans.  Her everyday figures are often informed by events in her own family history, one rooted in the American South, reflecting a greater connection of shared experiences, values, and aesthetics. Ross combines visual nostalgia with contemporary motifs that draw connections between the past and the present. Her fragmented spaces of bold, graphic fields of pattern and color energize the composition providing both context and visual cues. Her fragmented stories offer an opening for viewers to insert themselves and illuminate their own parallel or intersecting experiences.

Ross received a bachelor’s degree in apparel design and merchandising from Georgia Southern University and began her professional career as a designer in the fashion industry. She later returned to school to study Art Education at Greensboro College and received a master’s in liberal arts from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Ross recently completed a master’s degree in painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design. A figurative painter, Ross has exhibited in various group shows throughout Georgia and her works are held by private collectors throughout the US and abroad.

Rising Voices 3: The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters

Object Checklist

Pending. Available March 2023.