The Greenfield Prize
At the Hermitage Artist Retreat
Investing in Artistic Vision
How do you decide which discipline to commission? In what artistic discipline will be prize be awarded this year? Who is on the prize committee this year? Who are the "presenting partners" this year? Why are you commissioning two prizes the first year? What is the Greenfield Foundation? Why is this good for the Hermitage? Why is this good for our region? Who else needs to be thanked for this?
The Greenfield Prize is a narrowly competitive prize in one of any of the artistic disciplines, or combination of disciplines. It may be awarded in playwriting, music composition, poetry, choreography, sculpture - virtually any artistic endeavor is eligible to be the field within which the prize will be be granted. The prize consists of the following elements:
The Greenfield Prize is designed to invest in an artist's vision for which her or she has a passion, and then support that vision in its journey from its conception, through to its fullest integration into the American cultural canon.
The winner of the prize will be selected by a committee of six people - three voting members and three non-voting members. Of the voting members, the chair will be a discipline representative from our prestigious national artist selection committee. To see our national artist selection committee, click here. The chair will recruit two other voting members from the field of the same professional stature. The non-voting members of the prize committee consist of the artistic leader of our producing partner organization, a representative of the Greenfield Foundation, and the executive director of the Hermitage who will act as meeting facilitator. The Prize Committee meets by conference call in November and comes to a consensus on three finalists and three alternates for the prize. There will be no applications accepted from the field. The finalists will be notified of their selection as a Greenfield Prize finalist, and they will each be invited to submit a description of what he or she would do with the commission. The prize committee meets a second time face-to-face, to select the winner. How do you decide which discipline to commission? The choice of discipline to commission each year is the decision of the National Artist Selection Committee. (To see the committee click here.) The committee has been an indispensable resource in developing the processes and procedures by providing input and feedback as they have been developed for the prize. In what artistic discipline will be prize be awarded this year? This first year is a special year in that we are awarding to Greenfield Prize commissions, one in playwriting, and the other in chamber music. So we are commissioning a new play, and a new piece of chamber music in 2009. All other years we will award one prize. Who is on the prize committee this year? The prize committee each year is kept confidential until the winner is selected. What we can tell you, however, is that the committee is comprised of the national and international leaders in their respected fields. We are very proud of our ability to involve the very best professionals in the Greenfield Prize, and with the Hermitage. Who are the "presenting partners" this year? With two prizes this year, we are collaborating with two presenting partners, the Asolo Repertory Theatre and the Sarasota Orchestra. The Asolo Rep will be producing the first public reading of the work in the spring of 2010, and the Sarasota Orchestra will program the premier of the new chamber music composition in the spring of 2011. Why are you commissioning two prizes the first year? In the spring of each year, we want to give the premier public exposure of the new work in the same weekend that we hold the banquet announcing the next prize winner. With the exception of the first year, every commission will have two years to complete the commission work. By granting two commissions in the first year, the first will have one year to complete, while the second will have two years to complete. The first commission granted in the spring of 2009, will have its first public exposure in the spring of 2010, while the second commission will have its premier in the spring of 2011. The commission we grant in 2010, will premier in the spring of 2012. And so every commission after will have two years to complete. There is no application process for this prize. The three finalists are appointed by the prize committee without application. The prize is "narrowly" competitive in that the three finalist compete for the prize through the statements they supply describing what they would do with the commission should they win it.
A number of factors have come together to bring this gift to the Hermitage. Bob Greenfield and the Greenfield Foundation have been evolving their giving patterns to include larger, enduring gifts with the potential of having a long-term, national and international impact on the quality of life. In addition, Bob and Louise Greenfield, in developing an idea for an enduring gift to be left for our community, have been intrigued and impressed with the high professional level of people involved with the Hermitage both as resident artists, and on our national artist selection committee. They have also been struck with the difficulties artists face in creating new work, with no immediate financial remuneration, while trying to live decent, everyday lives. Louise Greenfield taught music, and she still plays chamber music in their home. They both have enjoyed and supported through the foundation, the rich variety of arts and culture for which our community is well-known. And they have particular passions for theater, literature, and visual art. Finally, the Hermitage is one of only two full-time artist communities in Florida, and the only multi-disciplinary arts organization on the Gulf Coast. What is the Greenfield Foundation? The Greenfield Foundation is based in Sarasota, Florida, but funds charitable initiatives across the country. Its president and most of its trustees are members of the family of Louise and Bob Greenfield of Sarasota, Florida. Its net income, which exceeds $500,000 a year, is devoted to improving quality of life through contributions to not-for-profit institutions in the arts, education, health care and other services. The foundation originates and participates in innovative projects, which have a ripple effect beyond the immediate impact of the expenditures. Why is this good for the Hermitage? There are many elements to this gift which "change the game" for the Hermitage.
Why is this good for our region? The Greenfield Prize brings another layer of national attention to the incredible cultural vibrancy of Florida's Gulf Coast. For many years our cultural organizations have worked to achieve this level of attention and awareness, and the Greenfield Prize adds the element of exceptional individual artistry to this well-established and well-deserved reputation. Almost all art, whether enjoyed in theatres, concert halls, galleries, museums, or libraries, begins with an individual artist, or a collaboration of individual artists, working alone with an idea and a passion. The Hermitage supports that part of the process, and this prize now feeds the process with financial and organizational support. Who else needs to be thanked for this? This community would not have the gift of a new artistic work every year without the involvement of Debra Jacobs, who as administrator of the Greenfield Foundation, deftly facilitated this gift with her characteristic grace and wisdom. She is a person who prefers "behind the scenes" to the spotlight, and who puts into action her belief that great things can be accomplished if you don't need to take the credit. But the fact is, she was the catalyst who facilitated this gift and then, like all good catalysts, left no trace of her role in the result. However, it would not have happened without her.
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