The Brink

The Brink award is a $12,500 non-restricted biennial award established by John and
Shari Behnke, longtime Henry Art Gallery benefactors and Seattle arts supporters, to be
given to an emerging visual artist working in Washington, Oregon, or British Columbia.
The award is intended to recognize and encourage visual artists whose early work shows a high level of creativity and originality and holds clear promise of expressing new ideas and perspectives over the long term. The recipient will be given a solo exhibition at theHenry, and a work of his or her art will be acquired for the museum’s collection.

This new award is now in its second biennial cycle, following 2009’s winner, Isabelle Pauwels (Vancouver, BC). Finalists for 2009 included Matt Browning (Seattle, WA), Alex Felton (Portland, OR), Aaron Flint Jameson (Portland, OR), Isaac Layman (Seattle, WA), and Gareth Moore (Vancouver, BC).

This award reflects both the adventuresome collecting interests of John and Shari Behnke and their desire to support artists in the region. In developing the idea of The Brink, they sought a name that would evoke a critical point in an artist’s career, described by the Behnkes as “a crucial moment, the point at which something is likely to begin.” The Behnkes noted, “We hope this award will provide a compelling reason for artists to stay in the region.”

This initiative was proposed as a measure to remind artists that their ongoing presence and their profession are essential to the Pacific Northwest’s dynamic cultural landscape. The Brink complements the Henry Art Gallery’s role as a catalyst for the creation of new work, while simultaneously demonstrating the museum’s commitment to artists working in our region.