SECA Art Award


The SECA Art Award is a contemporary art award program that has been organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and supported by its auxiliary SECA since 1967 to honor San Francisco Bay Area artists. It includes an SFMOMA exhibition, an accompanying catalogue, and a modest cash prize. The SECA Art Award distinguishes “artists working independently at a high level of artistic maturity whose work has not, at the time of recommendation, received substantial recognition."
Currently, the SECA Art Award exhibition occurs biennially. Two SFMOMA assistant curators from the Department of Painting and Sculpture make the selection of finalists and award winners and co-organize the SECA Art Award exhibition.
The high-profile, ongoing exhibition series often provides artists with their first major exposure at a large institution. A number of past Art Award recipients and finalists are represented in SFMOMA's permanent collection and have been included in collection-based presentations.

About

SECA group was originally founded in 1961 as an auxiliary of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in order to find young artists. The art interest group brings together collectors, curators, arts professionals, and artists through a variety of events that strengthen members' knowledge of contemporary art and appreciation of the local art community. By 1976 the SECA group began awarding prizes. Winning the award gives professional recognition to San Francisco Bay Area artists and allows them to secure funds for a new commission and an exhibition at SFMoMA.

SECA Art Award history

2019: Marlon Mullen
2012: Zarouhie Abdalian, Josh Faught, Jonn Herschend, David Wilson;
2010: Mauricio Ancalmo, Colter Jacobsen, Ruth Laskey, Kamau Amu Patton;
2008: Tauba Auerbach, Desiree Holman, Jordan Kantor, Trevor Paglen;
2006: Sarah Cain, Kota Ezawa, Amy Franceschini, Mitzi Pederson, Leslie Shows;
2004: Josephine Taylor, Shaun O’Dell, Simon Evans, Rosana Castrillo Diaz;
2002: John Bankston, Andrea Higgins, Chris Johanson, Will Rogan;
2000: Rachael Neubauer and Kathryn VanDyke;
1998: Chris Finley, Gay Outlaw, Laurie Reid, and Rigo 23 ;
1996: D-L Alvarez, Anne Appleby, and Barry McGee;
1994: Toi Hoang;
1992 – 25th Anniversary: Hung Liu, John Beech, and Maria Porges;
1990: Nayland Blake and John Meyer;
1988: Susan Marie Dopp;
1987: Anna Valentina Murch;
1986: Ev Thomas;
1985: Richard Overstreet and Rick Soss;
1984: Larry Thomas;
1983: Clay Jensen;
1981: Marc Katano, George Lawson, and Margaret Rinkovsky;
1980: Squeak Carnwath, Suzanne Hanson, and Seth Seiderman;
1978: Milton Komisar;
1977: David Best, Michael Cooper, Glenn Jampol, and Miklos Pogany;
1976: David Maclay;
1975: Cheryl Bowers, Lucian Octavius Pompili, and Cornelia Schulz;
1974: Charles Garoian, Jerome Johnson, David Jones, Bryan Rogers, and
Mary Snowden;
1973: David Anderson, Special Recognition: David Jones, Jim Pomeroy;
1971: Wayne E. Campbell;
1970: James Reineking;
1969: William Allan;
1968: Peter Zecher;
1967: Mel Henderson

List of other SECA awards

2001 SECA Experimental Design Award exhibition: Thom Faulders, Donald Fortescue, and Post Tool Design
1998 9th SECA Award for Film screening: John Turk, Corey Ohama, David Sherman; and Jay Rosenblatt
1996 SECA Electronic Media Award exhibition: Carol Selter, Rebeca Bollinger, Paul DeMarinis, and Jim Campbell
1992 SECA Video Award: Barbara Hammer, Marlon Riggs, Christiane Robbins, Jonathan Robinson, Ed Rudolph, and Michele Zaccheo
1988 SECA Video Invitational Award exhibition: Lawrence Andrews, Honorable Mentions: Paula Levine, Marek Pacholec, Alan Rath, and Lise Swenson
1990 8th SECA Film as Art Award'' screening: Sal Giammona Trinh T. Minh-ha, Michael Wallin;
1987 SECA Film Award screening: Susan Friedman and Ruby Yang;
1984 SECA Film Award exhibition: Michael Naimark, screening: Gunvor Nelson, Michael Rudnick, Michael Emery, and James Irwin.
1980 and 1982 SECA Photography Invitationals:
The invitational was intended to promote contemporary photography. Emerging photographers from the western half of the United States, who had not received national recognition, were chosen.
1980: Gay Block, Jack Butler, Vida Freeman, Sally Gall, Victor Landweber, Thomas Neff, Jane O’Neal, Susan Rankaitis, Gail Skoff, Wolf von dem Bussche, and Steve Yates; 1982: John Bloom, Lynda Frese, Paul Klein, Douglas Muir, Michael Narcisco, Jeanne O’Connor, Art Rogers, Thom Sempere, Barbara Thompson, Bruce Van Meter, and Laura Volkerding
1980 SECA Film Award screening: Bruce Conner;
1978 SECA Film Award screening: Gregg Schiffner and Dennis Pies;
1975 SECA Film Award screening: James Broughton;
1974 SECA Film Awards screening: 1st Prize: Robert Bloomberg; 2nd Prize: Vincent Collins; 3rd Prize: Peter Hutton; 4th Prize: Larry Huston; Honorable Mentions: Suzanne Simpson, Jeffrey Hale and Derek Lamb;
1973 SECA Film Awards screening: 1st Prize: Ron Chase; Finalists: Jeffery Miller, Horst Leissl, and Robert Burill, Honorable Mentions: Frederick Fierstein and Amnon Igra, Larry Lansburgh, and Steve Klocksiem
1970-71 Vernal Equinox Special Award: The $1,000 award was intended to introduce conceptual art to the public and to underwrite experimental projects in any medium. It was merged with the SECA Grant Award in 1973. 1970: Bonnie Sherk and Howard Levine ; 1971: Terry Fox; 1972: Stephen Davis.

Selected online reviews