Discovered Awards for Emerging Literary Artists - November 22

The Museum of Sonoma County will feature ten Sonoma County artists who have been named as winners of the “Discovered: Emerging Artists in Sonoma County” program for 2019 in its upcoming exhibition.

In addition, a full slate of ancillary activities has been set featuring the Discovered artists on panels, in discussions, and leading art-making sessions for the community. Events include a youth and teen drawing workshop, an artist-led discussion on the ramifications for artists who share political or deeply personal work, and a writing workshop exploring the interconnectivity of poetry and visual art. Details can be found at www.MuseumSC.org/events.

Discovered artists receive $2500 stipends for their past work, a professionally produced catalog that features highlights and excerpts of their work, and placement in an exhibition at the Museum of Sonoma County, curated by Museum Executive Director and Curator of Art Jeff Nathanson. “The Museum is honored to partner with Creative Sonoma in presenting the 2019 Discovered exhibition,” said Nathanson. “The overall quality of the submissions was extremely high and this year’s winners represent the very best of emerging artists working in Sonoma County.”

This is the first year that literary artists were invited to participate due to the funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. The combination of literary and visual artists invites attendees to explore the divergent expressions and perspectives of two genres in the context of a single show. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to search for the common threads that tie the artists’ works together.

“The Discovered program is a unique opportunity to provide local artists with professional credentials and recognition that can have an impact on their careers moving forward,”

said David Rabbitt, Chair of the Board of Supervisors.

“This program allows theSonoma County community to connect with local artists at this critical juncture intheir career and imagine what the future holds in store for them.”

2019 Discovered Winners:

Visual Artists

• Nicole Irene Anderson

• Annette Goodfriend

• Ash Hay

• C.K. Itamura

• Nestor Torres Lupercio

Literary Artists

• Leilani Clark

• Ernesto Garay

• Chelsea Rose Kurnick

• Joy Lanzendorfer

• Nicole R. Zimmerman

Presented in collaboration with Creative Sonoma, Discovered features the ten recipients of the 2019 Discovered Awards. The five visual and five literary artists were selected from a pool of applicants through a highly competitive process for a chance to have their work featured in a major exhibition at the Museum of Sonoma County. In addition to the exhibition, the winners are recognized through a cash award, public readings, and a professionally designed catalog combining their visual and literary work. The goals of the awards program are to recognize excellence in the visual and literary arts, foster professionalism and increase exposure for emerging visual artists and writers, and to cultivate public awareness and appreciation of the role of creativity in our community.