(New York, NY, September 10, 2024) – Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA) is pleased to announce that the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is the 2024 recipient of The Ellsworth Kelly Award, a $45,000 annual grant from FCA to support a solo exhibition for a contemporary artist. The grant to MOCAD supports the museum’s Spring 2026 exhibition of works by multidisciplinary artist Karyn Olivier, which will include a range of installations and sculptures, and a newly commissioned site-specific work. Working across the intersections of race, history, and identity, Olivier’s monumental sculptures and public art often re-contextualize everyday objects and encourage the viewer to explore what is familiar, historical, and commemorated. Olivier’s exhibition at MOCAD will feature works that engage the ongoing contributions of Black communities and address their omission to expand historical narratives.

FCA’s Ellsworth Kelly Award was created to support a solo exhibition for a contemporary artist, driven by Kelly’s own recognition of how transformative an in-depth solo exhibition could be for an artist’s career—and the important role that U.S. regional museums and university and college art galleries play in creating such opportunities. This by-invitation, annual grant of $45,000 is intended to support an institution in providing a significant exhibition opportunity to a visual artist whose artistic achievements merit wider recognition, regardless of career stage. FCA administers the selection process and award, which was launched during Ellsworth Kelly’s lifetime is endowed by the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation. Applications in this cycle were invited from a small number of institutions on the eastern side of the U.S. In 2025, the award will focus on institutions on the western side of the country.

The commission from MOCAD will enable Olivier to travel to Detroit to gather materials and engage with local histories to develop the work. A former Detroit resident, Olivier is familiar with the challenges and changes that have characterized the city’s recent past, and how its economic “revitalization” has also engendered a sense of cultural alienation—particularly for long-time residents within its predominantly Black community. Her multidisciplinary approach to making is an act of social practice with the potential to build a more complex understanding of shared history. “Curating Karyn Olivier’s exhibition is a profound opportunity to illuminate the critical narratives embedded in her work” said Jova Lynne, exhibition curator and MOCAD’s Co-Director/Artistic Director. “This exhibition will amplify the voices and histories that Olivier so powerfully brings to the forefront, offering a space for contemplation and dialogue. The Ellsworth Kelly Award is instrumental in realizing the ambitious scale of this exhibition, allowing us to fully honor Olivier’s artistry and impact. We are confident that this show will resonate deeply with our community and beyond, marking a pivotal moment in Olivier’s career and in MOCAD’s commitment to presenting transformative contemporary art.”

“We are honored to assist MOCAD in bringing Karyn Olivier’s exhibition to audiences in Detroit through The Ellsworth Kelly Award,” said Kay Takeda, Executive Director of Foundation for Contemporary Arts, “Olivier is a tenacious and bold artist who asks questions of history and engages viewers in a personal and expansive way. MOCAD’s treatment of her thought-provoking work, the scale of vision for the project, and the way it furthers a collaboration between the artist and Co-Director/Artistic Director Jova Lynne are timely and compelling to us.” MOCAD’s proposal was selected for support by FCA’s Board of Directors, including Cecily Brown, Anne Collier, Anthony B. Creamer III, Jennie C. Jones, Julian Lethbridge, Richard Maxwell, Dean Moss, Okwui Okpokwasili, Emily Wei Rales, Matana Roberts, James Welling, and John Yau. In making the award, FCA’s Directors seek projects that are in earlier stages of planning at the time of review and require the financial catalyst provided by The Ellsworth Kelly Award to help propel them from planning to realization.

Since its inception in 2016, the Ellsworth Kelly Award has helped to realize substantial solo exhibitions of artists such as Dakota Mace, Lydia Ourahmane, Shahpour Pouyan, Cauleen Smith, and dana washington-queen. The award has been presented to institutions across the United States, including university and college galleries in Augusta, Georgia; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Richmond, Virginia; and San Francisco, and at cultural institutions and museums in Nashville, Tennessee and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Awarded institutions have regularly illuminated and contextualized an artist’s practice and have engaged artists to realize new work, explore new methods and collaborate with new communities.

ABOUT KARYN OLIVIER

Karyn Olivier, born in Trinidad and Tobago (1968) and raised in Brooklyn, NY, is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans sculptures, installations, and public art. Her practice engages with themes of erasure and memory, often focusing on historical movements and figures that have been marginalized or overlooked. Olivier’s work creates powerful monuments that bring these hidden stories to light, challenging views to reconsider their understanding of history.

Olivier’s art is deeply informed by her diverse heritage and personal experiences, offering a nuanced perspective on the intersections of race, history, and identity. Her installations often feature large-scale, thought- provoking pieces that invite viewers to engage with complex social issues. Olivier’s contributions to the art world are significant, as she continually pushes the boundaries of contemporary art through her innovative and impactful works.

Olivier received a BA from Dartmouth College and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She is currently a professor of sculpture at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Her work has been featured in numerous prestigious exhibitions, including the Whitney Biennial, Prospect.6 Triennial, and the Malta Biennale. She has received multiple awards and fellowships, such as the Anonymous Was a Woman Award, the Nancy B. Negley Rome Prize, and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT (MOCAD)

The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) was founded in 2006 and is located in the heart of Detroit’s Midtown cultural district. Housed in a 22,000 square foot former auto dealership, MOCAD has maintained the building’s historic character while providing a versatile space for contemporary art exhibitions and events. As a Kunsthalle, MOCAD is a non-collecting institution dedicated to presenting rotating exhibitions of new and experimental art.

MOCAD’s mission is to present exhibitions and programs that explore contemporary art, connecting Detroit to the global art world. The museum focuses on art as a vehicle for social change and human understanding, reflecting the community it serves. MOCAD encourages innovative experimentation by artists, musicians, makers, cultural producers, and scholars, aiming to educate visitors of all ages about the transformative power of art.

In 2023, MOCAD hosted over 144 public programs, drawing large audiences through its diverse and inclusive programming. Under the new leadership established in 2023, MOCAD has continued to forge meaningful partnerships and present exhibitions that engage with critical social issues, further solidifying its role as a vital cultural institution in Detroit.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS (FCA)

The mission of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts is to encourage, sponsor, and promote innovative work in the arts created and presented by individuals, groups, and organizations. Since FCA’s inception, more than 7,300 grants to artists and arts organizations—totaling over $25 million—have provided opportunities for creative exploration and the realization of new work. FCA’s unrestricted, by-nomination Grants to Artists recognize 23 artists each year with awards of $45,000 for their pioneering work across the fields of dance, music/sound, performance art/theater, poetry, and the visual arts. Its Emergency Grants provide urgent funding to more than 200 artists annually to respond to sudden opportunities to present their work, or unexpected expenses for projects close to completion. Artists are primarily responsible for the Foundation’s existence, its growth, and its continuation. To date, over 1,000 artists have contributed artwork to help fund FCA’s grant programs; and financial contributions from like-minded individuals and foundations significantly enhance FCA’s ability to recognize and support innovative artists.

FCA was established by John Cage (1912-1992) and Jasper Johns in 1963. At the time, emerging visual artists were experiencing modest financial success, while many of their peers working in dance, music, and theater struggled to find funding for their work. FCA was initially operated on a volunteer basis by a group of artists who together organized benefit exhibitions, made grants, and produced performances by innovative artists. Many of the artists who participated in those early years would go on to make significant contributions to American arts and culture.

www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org

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