Atlanta’s High Museum of Art has announced Naomi Beckwith as the recipient of this year’s David C. Driskell Prize.
Established in 2005, the prize of $50,000 is presented annually to recognise outstanding contributions to the field of African American art and art history.
Beckwith is deputy director and Jennifer and David Stockman chief curator of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and Museum, which she joined in 2018. Previously she held curatorial positions at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, where she worked on exhibitions including Howardena Pindell’s first survey, as well as group and solo shows featuring artists such as Leslie Hewitt, Jimmy Robert and Yinka Shonibare. Alongside her curatorial practice, she has also widely researched and published on topics of Black identity and culture, exploring the practices of artists including Arthur Jafa, Rashid Johnson, Howardena Pindell, Jimmy Robert and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.
‘I am equal parts elated and humbled to receive the Driskell Prize,’ Beckwith said in a statement. ‘Previous recipients are my mentors, my models and my inspiration, and I am truly honored to be included in this illustrious cohort and contribute to our shared mission of making the most expansive art history imaginable.’
The ceremony will take place on 26 April at the High Museum of Art.
