On July 9, 2007, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation honored the winners of the seventh annual Individual Artists Award. The recipients of the award in the “Established Artist” category are Gaylen Gerber and Judy Ledgerwood. The winner in the category of “Emerging Artist” is Philip von Zweck. Each artist received an unrestricted award of $10,000 in recognition of their work.

The goal of the Driehaus Individual Artists Award is to support and encourage excellence, artistry, focus, direction, maturity, and originality in the visual arts. All artists nominated for the award must live in the Chicago area and be working in one or more of the following media: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, photography, video/film, fiber, book arts, jewelry, mixed media, installations, and conceptual art.

Seventeen anonymous visual arts professionals from the Chicago area nominated forty four visual artists. Nominators were asked to judge artists’ past work and future promise and to nominate artists for whom this award is likely to have the greatest impact at this time in their careers.

A jury of five arts professionals selected the recipients of the award, who demonstrated exceptional talent and commitment.

Judy Ledgerwood is painter who makes boldly patterned large-scale paintings that are both decorative and abstract. Her use of strong colors, geometric structures and scale, combine to make visually stunning paintings THAT mine historically modern precedents in a contemporary manner. Ledgerwood is an assistant professor at Northwestern University. Recent solo exhibitions include Tracy Williams, Ltd. in New York, Hausler Contemporary in Munich and Rhona Hoffman Gallery in Chicago. Her work is represented in the public collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Milwaukee Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Gaylen Gerber is a “cooperator” who presents his work as installations in conjunction with other artists through his paintings and drawings. Known for his signature gray color, whether painted directly on a wall, canvas or through manufactured paper, Gerber creates socially and culturally dynamic situations by cooperating with other art works TO create subtle yet powerful reminders about how to look at art. Gaylen Gerber is an assistant professor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Recent exhibitions include Daniel Hug Gallery in Los Angeles, Galerie Susanna Kulli in Zurich, Donald Young Gallery in Chicago and Documenta IX.

Philip von Zweck (emerging category) is an artist who defies the conventional tactics of traditional studio-base practice by incorporating the distribution of ideas in an artist-as-curator role that opens up limitless possibilities. von Zweck’s practice consists primarily of the organization of other artists work. Examples include a weekly radio show, monthly apartment exhibits of other well-known and undiscovered artists, developing guest lectures and performing weddings. Philip von Zweck graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2004 and currently teaches at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Recent exhibitions include I-cabin in London, Gallery 400 in Chicago, Suburban Space Gallery in Pittsburgh and ISCP in New York.

This year’s jury included James Rondeau, the curator of contemporary art at the Art Institute of Chicago; Stephanie Smith, director of Collections and Exhibitions and curator of Contemporary Art at the Smart Museum; Sarah Herda, Director of the Graham Foundation; photographer Terry Evans, and artist McArthur Binion.

Past winners of the Driehaus Individual Artists Award are Brett Bloom, Nyame O. Brown, Paola Cabal (emerging category), Nick Cave, Juan Angel Chávez, Julia Fish, Vanalyne Green, Gisela Insuaste (emerging category), Laura Letinsky, Brennan McGaffey, Helen Mirra, Darrel Morris, Laurie Palmer, Dan Peterman, David Philpot, Karen Reimer and Richard Rezac, Sumakshi Singh (emerging category) and Christine Tarkowski.