Following extensive research across all disciplines, Adelita Husni-Bey was selected as this year’s recipient of the BMC award, an annual grant of $20,000 for international or national artists working in the spirit of Black Mountain College (1933–1957). The nominators for the 2023 award were: Arooj Aftab, Bonnie Jones, Euridice Arratia, Richard Colton and Daniela Perez.

Adelita Husni-Bey is one of the most daring and talented artists of her generation. His groundbreaking installations are based on a deep belief in the importance of community, the transformative power of experiential pedagogy and other collaborative practices. Her work involves collectives and individuals (nurses, activists, school children, immigration lawyers to name a few) who challenge conventional definitions of art audiences. Husni-Bey’s interdisciplinary work gives participants an active voice, allowing us to see and engage with realities that are often hidden from many of us.

Euridice Arratia, nominee of the BMC award

Origins of the price
Black Mountain College (BMC) was a unique global college, with ideas and ideals grounded in worldviews that go beyond the Western canon. Likewise, the college’s heritage has taken root around the world, evolving and expanding to encompass disparate identities and forms of expression. Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center is dedicated to preserving the history of BMC as well as creating new work through collaboration with contemporary artists.

Funded by cultural pollinators Hedy Fischer and Randy Shull, the BMC Award allows BMCM+AC to continue on this path by building relationships and creating intentional impact. The museum supports the creation of new works by the most innovative artists working in the BMC tradition today. The award reflects the spirit of Black Mountain College as a place of experimentation, where global social movements, community efforts, and process-based practice have flourished.

For more information, visit blackmountaincollege.org.