Meet the Artists Shaping Arizona’s Creative Future: Phoenix Art Museum Awards $45K in Prestigious Prizes

This year’s Scult Family Artist Award, which recognizes a mid-career artist with $20,000 in monetary support and a solo exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum, was awarded to Alice Leora Briggs. A Texas native based in Tucson, Arizona, Briggs is known for her immersive work, which spans books, woodcuts, drawings, letterpress broadsides, and site-specific installations. Her art, which often explores themes surrounding the fragility of humanity, has been exhibited in prestigious institutions such as the Library of Congress and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Alice Leora Briggs, STYX, in progress. Courtesy of the artist.

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Christopher Ignacio, Manifesting Monsters, 2024. Courtesy of the artist.

Two artists were named winners of the Lehmann Emerging Artist Award, which supports rising Arizona-based artists with a $10,000 prize and a joint exhibition. This year’s recipients were Chris Ignacio, a Filipino-American artist, puppeteer and educator, whose artwork is reflective of the convergence of technology, voice and personal identity, and Jan Talmadge Davids, an artist whose clay and multi-media artwork is reflective of natural landscape.

Janet Talmadge Davids, Arizona Black Walnuts, Juglans major, 2022. Courtesy of the artist.

The Sette/Cohn Artists Award, which includes a $5,000 prize, is dedicated to establishing a five-year initiative to support engagement in art and building strong community relationships. This year’s award was presented to Shaunté Glover, a Phoenix-based artist who uses sculpture, printmaking, photography and film to tell stories that amplify marginalized communities, bringing depth to both personal and community narratives. 

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Shaunté Glover, Deliver Us From Eva, 2023. Courtesy of the artist.

These awards not only recognize artistic success but also amplify community excellence in Arizona. Through exhibitions and monetary support, Phoenix Art Museum is continuing its mission to support and uplift artists who have a powerful impact on the local community and tell stories that reflect the world around us.