Opened “Prize Prints” in New York

The exhibition offers New York’s art aficionados a view into contemporary printmaking in the Nordic countries through recent work by the 2012 and 2014 prize-winners, Tiina Kivinen (Finland) and Svend-Allan Sørensen (Denmark), as well as a selection of works by the award’s three founders, Kjell Nupen, Ørnulf Opdahl and the Queen herself.             

The world’s largest graphic art award

Queen Sonja’s dream of establishing an art award came true in 2011 in the form of a Nordic graphic art award. The exhibition “Prize Prints” also marks the fact that the Queen’s Nordic art award has become international, and is the largest prize of its kind. Candidates can be nominated from around the world for the award to be presented in 2016. The prize will alternate every other year with the awarding of funds from the Memorial Grant established to commemorate Norwegian artist Kjell Nupen.

“It is my sincere wish that the award and the Kjell Nupen Memorial Grant jointly will continue to stimulate the art of printmaking and inspire ambitious artists to establish themselves on the international art scene,” said Queen Sonja in her opening remarks.

And she concluded:

“Finally – to put it with author Saul Bellow: What is art but a way of seeing?
I invite you all to see for yourselves – and I hope you will enjoy it!”

The exhibition “Prize Prints” will open for public viewing on 17 April and will be on display until 1 August 2015.

Will receive the ASF Gold Medal

This evening Queen Sonja will attend the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s Spring Gala in New York City, where she will be awarded the ASF Gold Medal. So will former Prime Minister of Denmark and Secretary General of NATO from 2009 – 2014, Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Danish-American Niels Poulson founded the American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) in 1911 for the purpose of strengthening educational and cultural exchange between the US and the Nordic countries. The ASF Gold Medal pays tribute to individuals and organisations for extraordinary service in the promotion of the objectives of the Foundation.

Previous recipients of the ASF Gold Medal include the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson of Iceland, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari. Crown Princess Märtha of Norway was the first to receive the award in 1946.

Scandinavia House

“Prize Prints” is on display at Scandinavia House, the home of the American-Scandinavian Foundation. Scandinavia House showcases the broad scope of Nordic culture, from paintings and film to history, music and literature, as well as Nordic trade and industry and technology.