PAFA Alumna Wins Smithsonian Prize  

Njideka Akunyili Crosby is 2014 winner of Smithsonian 
American Art Museum's James Dicke Contemporary Artist Prize

PHILADELPHIA (November 25, 2014) - Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) alumna Njideka Akunyili Crosby on Tuesday was named the 2014 winner of the James Dicke Contemporary Artist Prize from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Akunyili Crosby (Post-Bacc. '06, Cert. '06-'09) is the 11th winner of the prestigious award, which is given to an artist under the age of 50 who has produced a significant body of work and consistently demonstrates exceptional creativity. The award comes with a $25,000 prize that is intended to encourage the winner's future artistic development and experimentation.

Akunyili Crosby was chosen by a panel of jurors who praised her "striking ability to depict deeply personal imagery that transcends the specificity of individual experience and engages in a global dialogue about trenchant social and political issues."

PAFA President and CEO David R. Brigham stated, "I am thrilled that Njideka Akunyili Crosby is being recognized with the 2014 James Dicke Contemporary Artist Prize. She is one of the most exciting young American artists working today, advancing the traditions of figurative art and staking her ground as a transnational artist. We at PAFA are proud that she is a member of our alumni community."

Akunyili Crosby's vibrant paintings intertwine autobiographical and cultural narratives through use of materials including collage and photo-transfer images from family albums as well as lifestyle magazines from her native Nigeria.

Akunyili Crosby was born in 1983 in Enugu, Nigeria. After receiving a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College, she earned a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in painting from  PAFA in 2006 and an MFA from Yale in 2011.

Harry Philbrick, the Edna S. Tuttleman Museum Director at PAFA and a member of this year's award panel, noted, "Njideka Akunyili Crosby represents the incredible diversity and strength of the contemporary art world. Her work weaves together different cultures and perspectives on race and gender using complex imagery, conceptual rigor, and dazzling technique. It was an honor to be on the jury that selected her through a collegial and thoughtful dialogue amongst peers for whom I have the utmost respect."

The other jurors were Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem; Byron Kim, artist; Walter Robinson, artist, critic and founding editor of Artnet Magazine; and Sheena Wagstaff, Chairman of modern and contemporary art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Previous winners of the award include Kathy Butterly (2012), Pierre Huyghe (2010); Mark Dion (2008); Jessica Stockholder (2007); Andrea Zittel (2005); Rirkrit Tiravanija (2003); and Jorge Pardo (2001). Artists must be nominated by a juror to be considered for the award.

The other 2014 James Dicke award nominees were Cory Arcangel, Trisha Baga, Paul Chan, Barnaby Furnas, Theaster Gates, KAWS (Brian Donnelly), Josiah McElheny, Dave McKenzie, Julie Mehretu, Frances Stark, Swoon (Caledonia Curry) and Mickalene Thomas.

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Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is America's first School of Fine Arts and Museum. A recipient of the 2005 National Medal of Arts presented by the President of the United States, PAFA is a recognized leader in Fine Arts education. Nearly every major American artist has taught, studied, or exhibited at PAFA. The institution's world-class collection of American art continues to grow and provides what only a few other art institutions in the world offer: the rare combination of an outstanding Museum and an extraordinary faculty known for its commitment to students and for the stature and quality of its artistic work.