Visionary Woman Awards Gala
Moore College of Art & Design will present its 2012 Visionary Woman Award to Victorian Hagan and Ellen Lupton on October 18, 2012. Now in its tenth year, the annual Visionary Woman Awards celebrate exceptional women who have made significant contributions to the arts and are national leaders in their fields.
Read Moore's press release about the 2012 Visionary Woman Awards.
View photos from the 2011 Visionary Woman Awards
Launched in 2003, the annual Visionary Woman Awards recognize women whose lives and careers have made a significant impact on the worlds of art and design. As the first and only women’s visual arts college in the country, Moore College of Art & Design is honored to highlight the extraordinary achievements of women in the arts and provide powerful role models for our talented students. The Visionary Woman Awards bring national attention to Moore and raise funds for Visionary Woman Scholarships for Moore undergraduates.
Each year, Moore hosts 300 guests that include sponsors as well as alumnae, students, staff, faculty and friends to honor the Visionary Woman Awardees during an evening ceremony and gala dinner.
| 2012 | Victoria Hagan, Interior Designer |
| Ellen Lupton, Graphic Designer, Writer, Curator, Critic | |
| 2011 | Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, American Indian painter, printmaker and activist |
| Jane Walentas '66, artist and DUMBO community advocate | |
| Signe Wilkinson, Pulitizer Prize winning editorial cartoonist | |
| 2010 | Wendy Ewald, photographer and founder of Literacy Through Photography |
| Judith Leiber, handbag designer | |
| Ann Temkin, art historian and first female chief curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, New York | |
| 2009 | Nancy Kolb, former president and CEO of the Please Touch Museum |
| Billie Tsien, architect for the Barnes Foundation on the Parkway | |
| 2008 | Mary McFadden, fashion designer |
| 2007 | Dr. Amalia Mesa-Bains, installation artist, arts activist and educator |
| Dr. Elizabeth A. Sackler, philanthropist, arts advocate and educator | |
| 2006 | Thora Jacobson, arts administrator and former executive director, Fleisher Art Memorial |
| Mary Ellen Mark, photographer | |
| Linda Nochlin, feminist art historian | |
| 2005 | Faith Ringgold, educator, painter, quilt artist and author |
| Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, founder, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC | |
| 2004 | Judy Chicago, feminist artist |
| Dorrit Bern, entrepreneur and former CEO of Charming Shoppes, Inc. | |
| 2003 | Denise Scott Brown, architect |
| Adrienne Vittadini ’66, fashion designer | |
| Jane Golden, founder of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program |
Visionary Woman Scholarships
In the spirit of celebrating the impact of women in the visual arts and educating the next generation of leaders, Moore has established Visionary Woman Scholarships. These prestigious scholarships recognize undergraduate students whose academic and artistic achievements demonstrate the potential for great success in the visual arts. Students are nominated by their high school art teacher (or equivalent) to compete for this scholarship. Scholarships are awarded by the Admissions Committee and are automatically renewed for up to four years of full time enrollment as long as the student maintains a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 per year.
The Student Experience
The Visionary Woman Awards raise the profile of Moore in the city and nationally and offer unique opportunities for students and the Moore community to engage with honorees. Awardees have met with students as visiting artists throughout the academic year, presented slide lectures, offered critiques, been a special judge at the spring Fashion Show, and offered mentoring opportunities.
On the day of the gala, a special luncheon is held for students and faculty to interact personally with awardees. Students are selected based on their leadership involvement at Moore, which includes participation in activities such as Student Government and the Emerging Leaders in the Arts program. Faculty members and Board members also attend. All enjoy sharing unique opportunities to discuss issues with the awardees and hear personal perspectives.
The Elizabeth Greenfield Zeidman Lecture
The Elizabeth Greenfield Zeidman Lecture, held at 2:00 pm on the afternoon of the gala, features the Visionary Woman awardees in a panel discussion open to the Moore community and the public. The Zeidman Lecture brings powerful role models in the arts to the community and educates the public about the unique contributions of women to art and design. An engaging question and answer session follows the lecture. The Zeidman Lecture is endowed by the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation.
