In December of 2021 the Phoenix Art Museum named the 2021 recipients of the newly named Lehmann Emerging Artist Award, which included Paradise Valley Community College Adjunct Faculty Member Chris Vena.
Vena has worked for the Maricopa County Community College District since 2018 and for PVCC’s art department since 2019 teaching drawing, life drawing, art history, and painting.
“I feel honored and extremely fortunate to be selected among such a vibrant, talented and serious group of artists. I am very much looking forward to working alongside them in the coming year,” Vena said.
The museum has named Gloria Martinez-Granados, Chris Vena, and Sam Frésquez and Merryn Omotayo Alaka as the inaugural cohort of the 2021 Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards.
According to a recent press release published by the museum, “Vena’s recent work focuses on the loneliness and unease of life during the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring themes of loss, isolation, financial insecurity, and mass death and focusing particularly on reconciling with the recent death of his pets, with whom he isolated throughout most of 2020.
“We are thrilled to feature this year’s group of winners because of their commitment to their artistic practices, and we look forward to working with them to make their voices resonate well beyond the geographic parameters of the Southwest.”
Award recipients will receive funding to support the creation of new work, which will premiere in solo and group exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum in Fall 2022.