Cleveland – The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Cleveland is pleased to announce Toby’s Prize, a biennial international juried prize to be given to an artist to support a new commission, solo exhibition, and scholarly publication. The prize of $50,000 will provide $25,000 for artistic production and $25,000 as a cash award. The first winner of Toby’s Prize will be announced in spring 2018 and the exhibition will be held in 2019.
Toby’s Prize is named for art world luminary and philanthropist Toby Devan Lewis, a longtime board member of MOCA Cleveland. Selected by a jury of renowned curators and scholars, prizewinners will be artists who are expanding the boundaries of contemporary practice.
“We are delighted to realize this initiative as we approach MOCA’s 50th anniversary,” says Jill Snyder, Donna and Stewart Kohl Executive Director. “Toby’s Prize reaffirms MOCA’s commitment to artistic experimentation and commissioning of new work. This award expands opportunities to bring national and international artists in dialog with the unique attributes of this Midwestern locale.”
Says Toby Devan Lewis, “In fostering emerging and established artists, I am proud to advance the visionary legacy of MOCA’s founders, Marjorie Talalay, Nina Sundell, and Aggie Gund. Nothing is more close to my heart than to nurture creative expression.”
The award highlights both Toby Devan Lewis’s and MOCA’s deep commitment to artists working today, providing them with a public platform as well as professional support for experimentation, a monographic catalog, and dynamic programs to reach new audiences.
