The Armory Show will launch two new museum acquisition prizes at its upcoming edition (24-27 September), with the Pérez Art Museum Miami (Pamm) and the Bronx Museum each selecting a work for their permanent collections from the New York fair. These will be the first acquisition prizes in the fair’s more than 30 year history.
"These participating institutions and patrons share our commitment to fostering visibility, longevity and continued success, particularly for emerging voices and artists from across the Americas whose work sparks dialogue, challenges perspectives and contributes to the broader cultural landscape,” Kyla McMillan, the fair's director, told The Art Newspaper in a statement.
The Pamm Acquisition Prize will allow for $20,000 to support acquisitions for the museum’s permanent collection and the Green Family Foundation Caribbean Cultural Institute, its research and curatorial platform focused on contemporary art from the Caribbean and its diasporas. The prize will focus on works in the fair’s Focus section, which this year is dedicated to the Caribbean. The Bronx Museum Acquisition Prize will start up a $15,000 fund for the museum to acquire a work from Presents, the fair’s section for emerging galleries and artists. The prize is possible thanks to the museum's Diane Moss Director’s Discretionary Fund.
The two prizes join existing Armory Show awards, including the Delfina Foundation Artist Residency Prize, which this year will go to an artist from the Caribbean region. The prize includes a 12-week residency in London. The Pommery Prize, meanwhile, awards $10,000 to an artist in the fair’s Platform section, alongside the opportunity to display the work in the champagne-maker’s cellars in Reims, France. The Sauer Artist Prize awards a further $10,000 to an artist in the Focus section.
Around 230 galleries from more than 30 countries will participate in this year's edition of The Armory Show, which will use its curated sections to highlight art and artists from the Caribbean region and its diasporas.
The Bronx Museum is in the process of completing a $43m renovation and expansion that includes a transformation of its entrance and lobby. The institution has remained open to the public throughout the construction process, which is due to be completed in autumn of 2027.
- The Armory Show, 24-27 September, Javits Center, New York