The Merce Cunningham Trust, named after the profound choreographer of the same name, has announced two major grants to two major arts organizations: the Foundation for Contemporary Arts and the Baryshnikov Arts Center.
The former will receive the first award, which will pay out $375,000, to establish and endow a Merce Cunningham Award. According to Artsforum, John Cage and Jasper Johns founded the organization in 1963. Its aim is to encourage, sponsor and promote innovative work in the arts.
As of now, the MCA will be a biannual, unrestricted grant and will be given in recognition of the vast achievements in the arts in the vein and spirit of Merce Cunningham.
The second gift will pay out in the sum of $250,000 to the Baryshnikov Arts Center to support, again, the establishment of the John Cage and Merce Cunningham Studio, as well as the creation of the notable Cage Cunningham Fellowship.
The BAC was founded in 2005 by the world-renowned Mikhail Baryshnikov and is establishing the Cage Cunningham Fund to honor, as one would predict, Merce and John. The fund will award one $50,000 prize annually.
For now, according to Roslyn Sulcas at The New York Times, Jasper Johns said the award's first recipient will be choreographer Yvonne Rainer.
Until next time, Classicalites, check out Baryshnikov below:
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