Seattle Artist Buster Simpson Wins Public Art Award

Just catching up with the Americans for the Arts convention in Seattle this week, I discovered that it made a terrific award on Thursday, the "Public Art Network" award, to artist Buster Simpson.

Simpson, a Seattleite, has so many credits to his name -- shows, projects, awards, panels, books, etc. -- that it's hard to pick one or two to talk about. Rather, I suggest looking for yourself at his website. But here's Incidence, from the Museum of Glass in Tacoma.

 Giving the award, Robert L. Lynch, president of Americans for the Arts, said this:

Buster Simpson has helped define contemporary and environmental public art. He is an accomplished artist and an exemplary leader in community arts. His innovation and dedication has been recognized regionally and nationally in the public art field.

And Eloise Damrosch, executive director of Portland's Regional Arts & Culture Council, wrote in his nomination:

He has never wavered from caring about and addressing critical environmental issues in all kinds of settings with a completely unique personal voice and style. Buster has been 'green' long before anyone really knew what that meant. He is a brilliant thinker, highly original artist, and treasured member of the country's public art community

Americans for the Arts gave five other leadership awards, too. They went to Bruce W. Davis (support for the arts through a united fund), Randy Engstrom (emerging leader), Victoria Hamilton (building communities through the arts), Sheila Smith (state arts advocacy) and Big Thought (arts education). You can read more about all of them here.

And the group recognized forty of the "best public art projects" of 2008, culled from 300 entries. That list is not yet posted on its website, but the winners from previous years can be seen here.