The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles will soon present three major artist awards over the next six years.
The $100,000 Eric and Wendy Schmidt Prize for Environment and the Arts will be awarded to an artist whose practice “addresses[es] the critical intersection of art, architecture, design, climate, conservation, sustainability and environmental justice,” according to a press release.
“Through their philanthropic activities, Eric and Wendy Schmidt have a long history of supporting projects at the intersection of science, technology and the arts.” MOCA Director Johanna Burton said in a statement “MOCA is deeply grateful for their generous donation to establish this award,” a statement said. “This new award allows the museum to continue to lead the way with the work of artists who are building conversation and visibility around climate, conservation and sustainability issues.”
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Eric previously served as CEO and executive chairman of Google and later as executive chairman of Alphabet. Wendy serves as president of the Schmidt Family Foundation and the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
The inaugural winner of the award will be announced this fall. The winner will spend the next year and a half completing a new commissioned work, which will be exhibited at MOCA in the spring of 2026. The jury selected 20 experts in the fields of art and architecture, conservation and ecology. Each nominee will then develop a proposal for the final product.
This year’s jury is made up of Burton; John Kenneth Paranada, Curator of Art and Climate Change at the Sainsbury Center; Carson Chan, Director of Architecture and Nature at the Museum of Modern Art Director of the Joint Institute for the Environment; Maria Seferian, Chairman of the MOCA Board of Directors; Dan Hammer, Advisor to the MOCA Environmental Committee.
The prize is donated by the collectors and patrons Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt until 2030. Healthy oceans to protecting human rights. They also established the Schmidt Ocean Institute, which provides scientists with access to research vessels in exchange for making their findings public.
“Science and technology help us explain the world, while art and community give us understanding and a sense of belonging,” Wendy Schmidt said in a statement. “We are delighted to partner with MOCA in establishing this award because, as we have seen throughout philanthropy, connecting scientists, artists and communities seems to reveal fundamental truths about people and our planet.”
