The Neddy Artist Fellowship—known as the Neddy—honors regional

artists who demonstrate a powerful artistic vision and a passionate

commitment to their art and community. The Neddy is an annual
fellowship given by the Behnke Foundation in memory of Robert E.
“Ned” Behnke (1948–1989) to commemorate his life as an artist. A
talented painter and an active force in the Seattle artist community,
Ned Behnke serves as a model for the selection of each year’s Neddy
Fellows. The Neddy honors artistic excellence, supports innovative and
unique artistic vision, and acknowledges artists’ involvement in the
community.

Beginning in 1996, Neddy Artist Fellowships have been awarded to

painters, printmakers, sculptors, photographers, and ceramicists.
Because of Ned’s contributions to painting, each year four painters are
nominated for the Neddy Fellowship. This year’s nominees for painting
include Timothy Cross, Eric Elliott, Gary Faigin, and Lynda Lowe. Artists
working in a second medium also are recognized, and for the first time
artists working in the field of studio art glass were nominated. The
nominees in this category are Joey Kirkpatrick and Flora C. Mace;
Sabrina Knowles and Jenny Pohlman; Benjamin Moore; and April
Surgent. In both categories, artists at all stages of their careers are
included. These diverse artists can be viewed as key representatives of
the growth and expansion of Northwest art.

Artists are nominated by a committee of local artists, curators,

collectors, and arts writers. The nominees next meet with an
independent juror, who selects the year’s Fellows. This process helps to
ensure fairness as well as the overall excellence of the nominees.
Earlier this year, Stefano Catalani, Curator at Bellevue Arts Museum,
selected Eric Elliott and April Surgent as the 2009 Neddy Artist Fellows.

As in years past, the Neddy Artist Fellowship exhibition brings together

an intriguing group of artists whose work, when considered together,
has a surprising affinity. An important theme this year is the
exploration of still life as a metaphor for subjects that range from the
perils and flux of contemporary life to a celebration of the joy and
beauty around us. Fragility is also a recurring theme, perhaps in part
because of the physical properties of glass.

The Neddy Artist Fellowship is a significant career milestone for an

artist. In addition to receiving a substantial cash award, the recognition
bolsters the artist’s reputation. Without exception, the nominees for
the 2009 Neddy Artist Fellowship represent some of the most active
and exciting creative forces of the Northwest. The common threads in
these works demonstrate how art serves as an endless source of
inspiration and guidance to navigate the ever-increasing complexities
of the contemporary world.

This exhibition is organized by Tacoma Art Museum and is generously

supported by the Behnke Foundation and the Behnke Family.