Acclaim! - Work by Award-Winning International Artists
browngrotta arts, Wilton, US
29.04.2023 - 07.05.2023

Humans love to rank things. It’s instinctive. We choose first place, best-in-show, and identify the MVP and the GOAT in sports, schools, dogs, wines and more.

The art world is no different. There are competitions and awards of various kinds. The 45+ artists in our Spring exhibit, Acclaim! Work by Award-Winning International Artists, like the others that we work with at browngrotta arts, have had their work acquired by museums and recognized by collectors. In addition, each of these artists have achieved formal art acknowledgment in the form of an award or medal or exclusive membership. Some of them have achieved more than one such commendation.

In the US, that may mean the award of a Gold Medal from the American Craft Council — 10 of the artists in Acclaim! belong to that group. In Canada, it means membership in the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts, which three of our artists have achieved. The late-master weaver Peter Collingwood, an artist whose work appears in this exhibition, received an OBE, Order of the British Empire. Yeonsoon Chang of Korea was selected Artist of the Year, by the Contemporary Art Museum in Seoul. In France, Simone Pheulpin was awarded the Grand Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris. Grethe Sørensen of Denmark and Agneta Hobin of Finland received the Nordic Award in Textiles; Sheila Hicks the French Legion of Honor.

Achieving recognition
Receiving an award can provide important affirmation for an artist. “There are no other large prizes in the UK for artists working in this medium,” says Jo Barker, winner of the Cordis Prize. “So what winning mostly felt like to me was a real validation of the career that I’ve had so far.” Such recognition can influence the direction of an artist’s work. For Grethe Sørensen, winning the Nordic Textile Award was for her digitally controlled weaving work, encouraged her to continue in that direction. Once selected as Artist of the Year by the Contemporary Art Museum in Seoul, KR, Yeonsoon Chang saw her textile work in the broader scope of contemporary art. “Objective recognition gave me courage to work and a sense of responsibility,” she says. For Chang, the award also meant expanded interest in Chang’s work from museums, galleries, and collectors.

About browngrotta arts
Founded in 1987 in Wilton, Connecticut, browngrotta arts showcases unique sculptural and mixed media works with an emphasis on concept, supported by technique. Museum-quality artworks by more than 100 international artists are represented through art catalogs, art fairs, partnered exhibits at museums, retail spaces and an online gallery. Representing many of the artists who have helped define modern fiber art since the 1950s, browngrotta arts reflects its co-curators, husband and wife team, Tom Grotta and Rhonda Brown. The founders and co-curators, husband-and-wife team, Tom Grotta and Rhonda Brown. open their private home — a two-story barn built in 1895 expanded and contemporized by architect David Ling in 2000 - twice a year for “Art in the Barn,” unique salon-style exhibitions. browngrotta arts has published 57 art catalogs and books. The firm has placed works in private and corporate collections in the US and abroad, including the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Arts and Design, Art Institute of Chicago, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. They regularly work with architects and interior designers offering consultation for commissioned artworks and site-specific installation for commercial and residential spaces. A selection of works is on view and available for sales inquiries at browngrotta.com.

Exhibition details
browngrotta arts has compiled work by a diverse group of artists to create a varied and exciting exhibition. Visit Acclaim! Work by
Award-Winning International Artists, at browngrotta arts, 276 Ridgefield Road, Wilton, CT 06897 from April 29 - May 7, 2023.

Details
Address: 276 Ridgefield Road Wilton, CT 06897
Gallery Dates/Hours:
Saturday, April 29th: 11AM to 6PM [Opening & Artist Reception]
Sunday, April 30th: 11AM to 6PM (40 visitors/ hour)
Monday, May 1st - Saturday, May 6th: 10AM to 5PM (40 visitors/ hour)
Sunday, May 7th: 11AM to 6PM [Final Day] (40 visitors/ hour)

Schedule your visit here: Eventbrite.