Art Awards

About the Art Awards Program

The San Francisco Foundation is proud give out a variety of artistic awards in literature, photography, documentary film, visual arts and performance each year that help foster individual growth within our community. Our Art Awards include:

Literary Awards (Jackson, Phelan, and Tanenbaum)
James D. Phelan Art Awards
Murphy and Cadogan Fellowships
Gutmann Photography Award
Shenson Performing Arts Fellowships
Community Leadership Award: In the spirit of Helen Crocker Russell

Literary Awards

The distinguished Joseph Henry Jackson, James Duval Phelan, and Mary Tanenbaum Literary Awards provide $2,000 each to three literary artists who work in any one of the following literary forms qualify: fiction (novel or short stories), nonfictional prose, graphic novels, poetry, spoken word, plays, and scripts. Awards are intended to encourage emerging artists not yet established in the genre who are either California-born or currently residing in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, or San Mateo County, for an unpublished manuscript-in-progress. In addition to the cash award, winning manuscripts will be permanently housed at UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library.

• Joseph Henry Jackson moved to California after WWI and became editor of Sunset Magazine from 1926-28. From 1924-1943 he hosted the radio program "Bookman's Guide," and in 1930 he became literary editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, continuing in that role for the rest of his life and gaining national prominence. He was also the author or editor of some dozen books, often concerning California history. He served on many literary boards, including the O. Henry Memorial Award, the Harper Prize Novel, and the Pulitzer Prize. In his book columns and by personal contact, Jackson was always interested in discovering and encouraging new writers. Appropriately, his friends established the Jackson Award after his death in 1955.

• James Duval Phelan was born, raised, and educated in San Francisco before entering the family banking business. In 1897 he ran for mayor of San Francisco, was elected and re-elected twice, gaining a great reputation for drafting a new city charter and beautifying the city through new parks and playgrounds. Later elected to the U.S. Senate, he served as a Democrat from 1915 to 1921. During his lifetime he encouraged and financially aided writers, artists, and musicians, for whom he provided very generously through his will after his death in 1930.

• Mary Tanenbaum began her career as a journalist after graduating from Stanford in 1936. Her first work was book reviewing with Joseph Henry Jackson for the San Francisco Chronicle, and her articles on books, travel, fashion, and personalities have appeared in the Chronicle, The New York Times, and The Christian Science Monitor. The Mary Tanenbaum Award was made permanent in 2000 by her husband Charles in memory of Ms. Tanenbaum's legacy as an author.

About the Selection Process
The Literary Awards are by nomination only; The San Francisco Foundation does not solicit applications. The Foundation identifies nominators and jurors who are established Bay Area literary artists and possess extensive knowledge of local artists in the various genres that the Awards seek to recognize.

2010 Literary Awardees:

Joseph Henry Jackson Award
Roxane Beth Johnson - In recognition of her outstanding poetry manuscript, Junkyard Sermon

James Duval Phelan Award
Anhvu Buchanan - In recognition of his outstanding poetry manuscript, The Disorder Index

Tanenbaum Award in Nonfiction
Dustin Heron - In recognition of his outstanding nonfiction manuscript, My Soul is a Toy that Never Breaks

James D. Phelan Art Awards

The James D. Phelan Art Awards were established by the trust of James D. Phelan (1861-1930), former San Francisco Mayor, United States Senator, and arts supporter, to recognize the achievements of California-born artists in a variety of disciplines. In previous years, The San Francisco Foundation has offered the Phelan visual arts awards in film, photography, printmaking, and video. The Phelan award is currently given through the Bay Area Documentary Fund.

James D. Phelan Art Award through The Bay Area Documentary Fund

2010 Awardees
Dave Iverson - To support Moscone: A San Francisco Story, a half hour-length television documentary on the life and legacy of former San Francisco Mayor George Moscone.
Ken Schneider - To support GOT BALZ?, a coming-of-age documentary about a San Francisco Jewish boy and his campaign to send money and supplies to Cuban youth to play baseball.

The Jack & Gertrude Murphy Fellowships, and the Edwin Anthony & Adelaine Bordeaux Cadogan Fellowships in the Fine Arts

In support of exemplary student artists, the Murphy and Cadogan Fellowships in the Fine Arts offer multiple awards of $3,500 to Bay Area fine arts graduate students for continued academic study. These fellowships assist outstanding MFA students in developing and exploring their artistic potential in digital art, illustration, film/video, hybrid practice, installation, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture, and filmmaking. The number of awards vary per year. In 2011, 24 MFA students received fellowships. One of the winning fellows may also be awarded the Jurors' Choice Award, an additional $3,500 given in recognition for outstanding artistic achievements and promise.

2011 Awardees:

• Andrew Chapman, Stanford University
• Li Chen, San Francisco Art Institute
• James Coquia, California College of the Arts
• Christine Elfman, California College of the Arts
• Joel Frudden, San Francisco Art Institute
• Stephanie Halmos, California College of the Arts
• Joey Izzo, San Francisco State University
• Adam Katseff, Stanford University
• Michael Koehle, Mills College
• Senalka McDonald, California College of the Arts
• Kate Nartker, California College of the Arts
• Toyin Odutola, California College of the Arts
• Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, University of California, Berkeley
• Kari Orvik, University of California, Berkeley
• Maya Pasternak, California College of the Arts
• Christine Peterson, California College of the Arts
• Yulia Pinkusevich, Stanford University
• Michelle Ramin, San Francisco Art Institute
• Amy Rathbone, University of California, Berkeley
• Helene Schlumberger, California College of the Arts
• Sofia Sharpe, Mills College
• Elia Vargas, San Francisco State University
• Rachel Weiss, San Francisco Art Institute

John Gutmann Photography Fellowship Award

Established by the internationally recognized photographer, John Gutmann (1905-1998), the John Gutmann Photography Fellowship awards $5,000 to $10,000 annually to an emerging artist who exhibits professional accomplishment, serious artistic commitment, and need in the field of creative photography.

Eligibility
The Gutmann award is determined by nomination only, and nominees are selected by jurors who were appointed by John Gutmann. For more information on John Gutmann, the award, and the jurors, visit: www.johngutmann.org/jurors.

About the Selection Process
There are no applications for this award. Only applicant names submitted by a nominating jury will be considered.

2011 Awardee
Jason Lazarus, Chicago, IL

Shenson Performing Arts Fellowships

A pre-selected group of arts organizations that provide excellent professional-track performing arts training and performance opportunities were invited to nominate an exemplary pre-professional performing artist (above 18 yrs of age) for a $5,000 award to assist with their professional advancement. Fellowships were based on the nominee’s artistic merit and their potential for future excellence and impact in his or her performing arts discipline.

The Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson Foundation at The San Francisco Foundation was established in 1995 by brothers Ben and A. Jess Shenson who were passionate about encouraging pre-professional students in the performing arts. These fellowships will be awarded in their memory.

About the Selection Process
The Shenson Fellowships are awarded through nominations by select arts teaching organizations, and no general public applications are available.

2011 Awardees
Ballet dancer Jeffrey Van Sciver with Alonzo King's LINES Ballet   
Actress Jessica Kitchens with American Conservatory Theatre       
Vocalist Tom Sway with Community Music Center           
Ballet dancer Trygve Cumpston with San Francisco Ballet           
Soprano Sara Gartland with San Francisco Opera   

Community Leadership Award

In the spirit of Helen Crocker Russell
The 2011 Helen Crocker Russell Community Leadership Awards to under-recognized artists for significant contributions to Bay Area arts went to John Santos, musician and cultural activist and Jordan Simmons, artistic director of the East Bay Center for Performing Arts. For more information, visit the Community Leadership Awards page and to learn more about see past Helen Crocker Russell Community Leadership Awardees, click here.

Learn more about our previous awardees, and for more information about any of the Foundation's awards or scholarships, please email us.