Six artists answer: What did SECA Award mean to you?
KOTA EZAWA (SECA AWARD, 2006)
“When I received the award, I was already 37 years old. In comparison, I was one of the more seasoned awardees, with a gallery solo show in New York under my belt and several museum group shows internationally. It was still a big deal. More than the award itself or the prize money, it felt great to be recognized by the premier art institution of the town where I live.
“I’m not sure that the award had any direct impact on my career. A lot of people in the San Francisco art world had already encountered my work four years earlier when I participated in “Bay Area Now 3” at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The lasting effect of this exhibition was that it established a relationship with the curators and staff at SFMOMA and to the other artists in the show.”
JOHN BANKSTON (SECA AWARD, 2002)
“We are very lucky to have institutions in the Bay Area that nurture artists working here. SECA does that. The SECA Award is a fantastic honor. The award opened a door for me to be part of the artist community in San Francisco and part of the rich history of SFMOMA. I feel SFMOMA is interested in my growth as an artist, as well as in strengthening artists working here. I am in a number of museum collections around the country, and SFMOMA certainly stands out in its commitment to artists.”