Why the current political moment makes the new Herb Alpert awards for experimental artists so relevant
An experimental composer who once created a new piece of music every day for a year. A video artist whose surprising work grapples with complex issues relating to the human mind. And a choreographer whose ritualistic pieces explore the nature of the human body. Those are just some of the recipients of the 2017 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, granted by the Santa Monica-based Herb Alpert Foundation in collaboration with the California Institute of the Arts.
The five recipients, announced Thursday, are theater director Daniel Fish, choreographer luciana achugar (who spells her name in all lowercase letters), artist Amy Franceschini, composer Eve Beglarian and video artist Kerry Tribe. Each winner — a mid-career artist producing important, experimental work — receives a $75,000 grant as part of the award.
“It supports work that is often more experimental and less commercial,” says Irene Borger, who oversees the awards. “It’s not about being lockstep with what everyone is doing. It has a kind of freedom in it.”