Arts Club of Washington

Programs

The club supports visual, performing, and literary arts in Washington, D.C. It hosts a noon-time concert series. It awards arts scholarships.

The Marfield Prize, National Award for Arts Writing

The Marfield Prize, also known as the National Award for Arts Writing, is given annually by the Arts Club of Washington to nonfiction books about the arts written for a broad audience. Intended to help increase access to the arts, the Prize "celebrates prose that is lucid, luminous, clear, and inspiring—writing that creates a strong connection with arts and artists."

The Prize of $10,000, which the Club asserts is the only one of its kind in the country, honors nonfiction books first published in the U.S., by a single author who is living at the time of the book's nomination. First given in 2006, the prize's endowment was established by long-time Arts Club member Jeannie S. Marfield in honor of Florence Berryman and Helen Wharton.

The award is given to the author of a nonfiction book about any artistic discipline (visual, literary, performing, or media arts, as well as cross-disciplinary works. Works of art history and criticism, biographies and memoirs, and essays are all eligible. Anthologies, creative works of fiction or poetry, books for children, exhibition catalogs and self-published books are not eligible.

Members of the club noticed that there was a lack of "good, accessible writing about the arts," according to former award administrator Sarah Browning. Club members decided to use a bequest by longtime member Jeannie S. Marfield to remedy the situation. In addition to the annual winners, the Club publishes the names of several finalists.

List of winners

References

References

1. (2011-12-09). "Pat Moore on Mathilde Mueden Leisenring Exhibit". YouTube.
2. Virgil E. McMahan. (1995). "The Artists of Washington, D.C., 1796-1996". Artists of Washington.
3. Montgomery, David. (2011-05-20). "Arts Club of Washington's quirky downtown haven of clubby culture survives the ages". Washington Post.
4. "Friday Noon Concerts - DC Art Events {{!}} DC Wedding Reception Venue". DC Art Events {{!}} DC Wedding Reception Venue.
5. "The Arts Club of Washington's 2018 Scholarship Competition {{!}} Corcoran School of the Arts & Design {{!}} The George Washington University".
6. Thompson, Bob. (April 27, 2007). "Tale of Folk Hero Wins New Award For Arts Writing". The Washington Post.
7. "2014 Award Guidelines". Arts Club of Washington.
8. "Wendy Lesser Receives $10,000 Marfield Prize for Arts Writing". Arts Club of Washington.
9. Maidman, Daniel. (July 17, 2017). "A Conversation with Rachel Corbett". The Huffington Post.
10. Cascone, Sarah. (20 March 2017). "Rachel Corbett Wins $10,000 Marfield Prize for Arts Writing". artnet News.
11. Sturgeon, Jonathon. (September 23, 2016). "Auguste Rodin and Rainer Maria Rilke Had a Strange, Moody Friendship: Rachel Corbett's elegant 'You Must Change Your Life' traces the paths of the sculptor and the poet.". Artnet News.
12. (March 24, 2017). "Rachel Corbett Wins $10,000 Marfield Prize for Arts Writing". [[Artforum]].
13. (April 30, 2016). "Michael Riedel's RAZZLE DAZZLE Wins $10,000 MARFIELD PRIZE National Award for Arts Writing". Broadway World.
14. Lloyd Webber, Imogen. (May 2, 2016). "Odds & Ends: Oprah to Star in George C. Wolfe Film, Drama Desk Awards to Add Book Category & More". broadway.com.
15. Charles, Ron. (March 11, 2014). "Terry Teachout among finalists for $10,000 Marfield Prize for arts writing". The Washington Post.
16. (April 28, 2011). "Award winning biographer Tripp Evans to Read at Baker Books May 4 at 7 p.m.". South Coast Today.