Arts_Club_of_Washington

Arts Club of Washington

Arts Club of Washington

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The Arts Club of Washington is a private club to promote the Arts in Washington, D.C.

Quick Facts Formation, Founder ...
Theater at the Arts Club, after a recital.
Interior of the Club before a reception. On the wall is a portrait of James Monroe, who lived at the Cleveland Abbe House at the start of his presidency.

Founded by Bertha Noyes in May 1916, its first president was Henry Kirke Bush-Brown; Mathilde Mueden Leisenring was among its original members,[1] as were Susan Brown Chase, Catharine Carter Critcher, Lola Sleeth Miller, Bertha E. Perrie, and Mary Gine Riley.[2]

It is located at the Cleveland Abbe House. Since 2006, the Club has awarded the Marfield Prize, also known as the National Award for Arts Writing, for nonfiction books about the arts written for a broad audience.

Programs

The club supports visual, performing, and literary arts in Washington, D.C.[3] It hosts a noon-time concert series.[4] It awards arts scholarships.[5]

The Marfield Prize, National Award for Arts Writing

The Marfield Prize, also known as the National Award for Arts Writing, is given annually by the Arts Club of Washington to nonfiction books about the arts written for a broad audience. Intended to help increase access to the arts, the Prize "celebrates prose that is lucid, luminous, clear, and inspiring—writing that creates a strong connection with arts and artists."[6]

The Prize of $10,000, which the Club asserts is the only one of its kind in the country, honors nonfiction books first published in the U.S., by a single author who is living at the time of the book’s nomination. First given in 2006, the prize’s endowment was established by long-time Arts Club member Jeannie S. Marfield in honor of Florence Berryman and Helen Wharton.[7]

The award is given to the author of a nonfiction book about any artistic discipline (visual, literary, performing, or media arts, as well as cross-disciplinary works. Works of art history and criticism, biographies and memoirs, and essays are all eligible. Anthologies, creative works of fiction or poetry, books for children, exhibition catalogs and self-published books are not eligible.[6]

Members of the club noticed that there was a lack of "good, accessible writing about the arts," according to former award administrator Sarah Browning. Club members decided to use a bequest by longtime member Jeannie S. Marfield to remedy the situation.[7] In addition to the annual winners, the Club publishes the names of several finalists.

List of winners

More information Year awarded, Winner ...

References

  1. "Pat Moore on Mathilde Mueden Leisenring Exhibit". YouTube. 2011-12-09. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2017-01-30.
  2. Virgil E. McMahan (1995). The Artists of Washington, D.C., 1796-1996. Artists of Washington. ISBN 978-0-9649101-0-2.
  3. Montgomery, David (2011-05-20). "Arts Club of Washington's quirky downtown haven of clubby culture survives the ages". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  4. "Friday Noon Concerts - DC Art Events | DC Wedding Reception Venue". DC Art Events | DC Wedding Reception Venue. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  5. "2014 Award Guidelines". Arts Club of Washington. Archived from the original on 2014-12-25. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  6. Thompson, Bob (April 27, 2007). "Tale of Folk Hero Wins New Award For Arts Writing". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  7. "Wendy Lesser Receives $10,000 Marfield Prize for Arts Writing". Arts Club of Washington. Archived from the original on 2018-04-05. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  8. Maidman, Daniel (July 17, 2017). "A Conversation with Rachel Corbett". The Huffington Post.
  9. Cascone, Sarah (20 March 2017). "Rachel Corbett Wins $10,000 Marfield Prize for Arts Writing". artnet News.

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