Programs » Awards for Distinction
Nominations
CAA Awards for Distinction are announced at each Annual Conference in February. All nominations must be sent with the proper nomination form including the nominee’s contact information.
Below is a short description of awards given by CAA and details of the history, eligibility, and nomination process.
Publications Awards are for authors of published books or articles/criticism. Books published posthumously are not eligible. These include:
- Charles Rufus Morey Book Award for non-catalogue books in the history of art
- Alfred H. Barr Jr. Award for museum scholarship in the history of art
- Alfred H. Barr Jr. Award for Smaller Museums, Libraries, Collections, and Exhibitions for museum scholarship in the history of art
- Frank Jewett Mather Award for art criticism
- Arthur Kingsley Porter Prize for articles written by younger scholars published in The Art Bulletin
- Art Journal Award for articles or works published in Art Journal
Nominations for the Morey, Barr, and Mather awards are for authors of books or articles/criticism published between September 1, 2023 and August 31, 2024 for the awards announced at the CAA Annual Conference in 2025, and nominations are due on July 31, 2024. Nominations for the Arthur Kingsley Porter and Art Journal awards are for works published within the last year. These nominations are due annually on September 1. To give the jury full opportunity to evaluate each submission, submit materials well before the deadline.
Publishers may submit no more than three titles for any given award. Publishers may not submit the same title for the Morey and Barr awards (The Morey jury does not accept exhibition catalogues; the Barr Award is specifically for museum/library/archive/gallery catalogues). Works published posthumously are not eligible. All materials should be sent to Cali Buckley, Manager of Grants and Awards & Director of the CAA-Getty International Program.
Individual Awards honor artists, art historians, authors, museum professionals, and critics whose accomplishments transcend their individual disciplines and contribute to the profession as a whole and to the world at large. These include:
- Distinguished Teaching of Art Award
- Distinguished Teaching of Art History Award
- Artist Award for Distinguished Body of Work
- Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement
- Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing on Art
- Distinguished Feminist Awards
- CAA/American Institute for Conservation Award for Distinction in Scholarship and Conservation Award
- Excellence in Diversity Award
All nominations are due annually on September 1. To give the jury full opportunity to evaluate each submission, submit materials well before the deadline.
Nominations for Awards for Distinction should include letters of support from the nominator that include the nominator’s identity, relationship to the nominee, impact of the nominee’s work, and why the nominee should be recognized for this award. It is recommended that nominators contact colleagues, students, and other professionals to write their own letters of nomination as well, bearing in mind that only five letters will be considered by the award jury.
AWARD-SPECIFIC INFORMATION
CHARLES RUFUS MOREY BOOK AWARD
The Charles Rufus Morey Book Award was established in 1953. It is presented for a distinguished book in the history of art, published in the English language. Preference is given to books, including catalogues raisonnés by a single author, but major publications in the form of articles or group studies may be included. Publication of documents or inventories, unless specifically in the context of an exhibition, are also eligible.
Nomination Requirements:
- Completed nomination form
- Six copies of the book (for CAA and each jury member). To receive the mailing addresses for the jury, please submit your completed nomination form, and the mailing addresses of jury members will be sent to you after the deadline.
- A publisher may submit no more than 3 titles for this award.
The Alfred H. Barr Jr. Award for museum scholarship was established in 1980, in honor of the founding director of the Museum of Modern Art and a scholar of early-twentieth-century painting. This award is presented to the author or authors of a distinguished catalogue in the history of art, published in the English language under the auspices of a museum, library, or collection. Catalogues of public or private collections or significant portions thereof and exhibition catalogues are eligible.
Nomination Requirements:
- Completed nomination form
- Six copies of the book (for CAA and each jury member). To receive the mailing addresses for the jury, please submit your completed nomination form, and the mailing addresses of jury members will be sent to you after the deadline.
- A publisher may submit no more than 3 titles for this award.
ALFRED H. BARR JR. AWARD FOR SMALLER MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES, COLLECTIONS, AND EXHIBITIONS
In 2009, CAA established a second Barr Award for the author(s) of catalogues produced by smaller museums, libraries, and collections with an annual operating budget of less than $10 million dollars.
Nomination Requirements:
- Completed nomination form
- Budget showing that the institution has an annual operating budget of less than $10 million
- Six copies of the book (for CAA and each jury member). To receive the mailing addresses for the jury, please submit your completed nomination form, and the mailing addresses of jury members will be sent to you after the deadline.
The Frank Jewett Mather Award, first presented in 1963 for art journalism, is named in honor of the art critic, teacher, and scholar who was affiliated with Princeton University until his death in 1953. It is awarded for significant published art criticism that has appeared in publication in a one-year period (between September 1 and August 31 of the year prior to the award year). The Mather Award may be given for work that originated before the indicated period provided that such work extends into the award period. CAA welcomes nominees who have produced significant critical work in the field of visual arts over the past year.
Nomination Requirements:
- Completed nomination form
- Six copies of the book (for CAA and each jury member). To receive the mailing addresses for the jury, please submit your completed nomination form, and the mailing addresses of jury members will be sent to you after the deadline.
The Arthur Kingsley Porter Prize was established in 1957, in memory of a founding member of CAA and one of the first American scholars of art history. The prize is awarded for a distinguished article published in The Art Bulletin during the previous calendar year by a scholar who is under the age of thirty-five, or who has received their doctorate not more than ten years before acceptance of the article for publication.
No nomination requirements.
Established in 2000 and first presented in 2001, the Art Journal Award is presented to the author of the most distinguished contribution—article, interview, conversation, portfolio, review, or any other text or visual project—published in Art Journal during the previous calendar year.
No nomination requirements.
DISTINGUISHED TEACHING OF ART AWARD
The Distinguished Teaching of Art Award, established in 1972, is presented to an artist of distinction who has developed a philosophy or technique of instruction based on their experience as an artist; has encouraged their students to develop their own individual abilities; and/or has made some contribution to the body of knowledge loosely called theory and understood as embracing technical, material, aesthetic, and perceptual issues.
Nomination Guidelines:
- Completed nomination form
- Shortened CV of nominee (approximately two pages)
- Nomination letter
- Solicitation of letters of recommendation for the nominee to be sent to Cali Buckley. Two to three letters are customary; up to five will be accepted.
DISTINGUISHED TEACHING OF ART HISTORY AWARD
The Distinguished Teaching of Art History Award, established in 1977, is awarded to an individual who has been actively engaged in teaching for most of their career. Among the range of criteria that may be applied in evaluating candidates include: inspiration to a broad range of students in pursuit of humanistic studies; rigorous intellectual standards and outstanding success in both scholarly and class presentation; contribution to the advancement of knowledge and methodology in the discipline including integration of art historical knowledge with other disciplines; and aid to students in the development of their careers.
Nomination Requirements:
- Completed nomination form
- Solicitation of letters of recommendation for the nominee to be sent to Cali Buckley. Two to three letters are customary; up to five will be accepted.
ARTIST AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED BODY OF WORK
The Artist Award for a Distinguished Body of Work, first presented in 1988, is a peer award given to an artist for exceptional work through exhibitions, presentations, or performances mounted between September 1 and August 31 prior to the award year. This award is presented to a living artist of national or international stature and must tie them to an exceptional recent exhibition.
Nomination Requirements:
- Completed nomination form
- Solicitation of letters of recommendation for the nominee to be sent to Cali Buckley. Two to three letters are customary; up to five will be accepted.
- If an exhibition catalogue was produced, six copies (for CAA and each jury member). To receive the mailing addresses for the jury, please contact Cali Buckley when submitting your completed nomination form.
DISTINGUISHED ARTIST AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
The Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement, first presented in 1988, celebrates the career of an artist who, among other distinctions, has demonstrated commitment to their work throughout a long career and has had an important impact nationally and internationally on the visual arts field.
Nomination Requirements:
- Completed nomination form
- Solicitation of letters of recommendation for the nominee to be sent to Cali Buckley. Two to three letters are customary; up to five will be accepted.
- Links to any exhibition websites, the artist’s website, digital copies of exhibition reviews and catalogues, and critical writings on or by the artist along with the nomination form to Cali Buckley
DISTINGUISHED LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR WRITING ON ART
The Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing on Art, established in 2003, celebrates the career of an author of note and includes art criticism, art history, art biography, and/or art theory. The award is presented to an author who, among other distinctions, has demonstrated commitment to their work throughout a long career and has had an impact, nationally and internationally, on the field.
Nomination Requirements:
- Completed nomination form
- Solicitation of letters of recommendation for the nominee to be sent to Cali Buckley. Two to three letters are customary; up to five will be accepted.
- Copies of written work in digital or print form (or publication information if written work compiled in a single volume).
CAA presents two annual Distinguished Feminist Awards: one presented to a visual artist or designer who, through outstanding efforts in their practice or advocacy, has advanced the cause of equality for women in the arts; one presented to a scholar who, through outstanding efforts in their scholarship, curatorial practice, or advocacy, has advanced the cause of equality for women in the arts. This award was established in 2007. From 1996 to 2008, this award was presented as an Annual Recognition Award by CAA’s Committee on Women in the Arts (CWA) at a ceremony at the Annual Conference.
Nomination Requirements:
- Completed nomination form
- Solicitation of letters of recommendation for the nominee to be sent to Cali Buckley. Two to three letters are customary; up to five will be accepted.
- Sample of work:
- If nominee is an artist, please send links to any exhibition websites, the artist’s website, digital copies of exhibition reviews and catalogues, and critical writings on or by the artist along with the nomination form.
- If nominee is author or curator, please submit copies of sample writings, which may be website links and printouts, photocopies or scanned pages of newspapers or magazines, and more. If the writing is contained in a single volume (such as a book), please provide the publication information.
CAA/AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CONSERVATION AWARD FOR DISTINCTION IN SCHOLARSHIP AND CONSERVATION
The CAA/AIC Award for Distinction in Scholarship and Conservation was initiated in 1990 (as the “CAA/Heritage Preservation Award for Distinction in Scholarship and Conservation”) for an outstanding contribution by one or more persons who have enhanced understanding of art through the application of knowledge and experience in conservation, art history, and art. The joint award with the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works was first presented in 2016.
Nomination Guidelines:
- Completed nomination form
- Solicitation of letters of recommendation for the nominee to be sent to Cali Buckley. Two to three letters are customary; up to five will be accepted.
- Copies of written work in digital or print.
The Excellence in Diversity Award, established in 2017, recognizes outstanding efforts in arts programming, projects, and/or scholarship to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. The award may be made to either an institution or individual for demonstrated and significant advancement of diversity in nonprofit institutions such as colleges or universities, museums or galleries, foundations, and/or cultural agencies, especially in areas related to including, embracing, and/or enhancing opportunities for people of all ages, cultures, ethnicities, religions/faiths, genders, differing abilities, and/or sexual orientations.
Nomination Guidelines:
- Completed nomination form
- Solicitation of letters of recommendation for the nominee to be sent to Cali Buckley. Two to three letters are customary; up to five will be accepted.
Contact
Questions? Please contact Cali Buckley, Manager of Grants and Awards & Director of the CAA-Getty International Program.