Jean Goldman Book Prize To Be Awarded Thursday, October 31

This fall the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) will award a juried literary prize for the best recent visual arts publication by a member of its faculty. Underwritten by art historian and Art Institute of Chicago Life Trustee Dr. Jean Goldman and known as the Jean Goldman Book Prize, the award will be presented at the Literary Lions Luncheon at noon on Thursday, October 31, at the Casino, 195 East Delaware Place.

A new award at SAIC, the prize seeks to reflect and support SAIC faculty members’ significant contributions to art literature, research, and scholarship. “I am thrilled to support a prize that recognizes the exceptional faculty at SAIC, where I taught for 20 years,” says Jean Goldman. “As an author and scholar I know firsthand how important recognition can be as motivation and gratification for hard work, fresh critical thinking, and original approaches to art analysis.”

Featuring a Grammy Award–nominated, New York Times–bestselling author as a surprise special guest, the Literary Lions Luncheon will be hosted by Walter E. Massey, President, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Douglas Druick, President and Eloise W. Martin Director, Art Institute of Chicago. Druick and Massey will present the prize to the winner, selected by a six-member jury of individuals from art museums and cultural institutions beyond SAIC. After brief remarks by the winner, the special guest will offer entertainment prior to lunch, and both will sign copies of their books for guests. Award nominees, jury members, and the jury selection committee will all be present at the event.

Net proceeds from the Literary Lions Luncheon support the SAIC Literary Lions Endowment Fund, established to provide institutional grants for SAIC faculty research. Tickets and ticket packages are available at varying levels. For more information, to purchase tickets, or to make a donation to the Literary Lions Endowment Fund, please call 312.499.4190 or contact saicevents@saic.edu.

Jurors for the Jean Goldman Book Prize are Naomi Margolis, Christine Mehring, Annie Rorimer, Susan Rossen, Tim Standring, and Natalie Van Straaten.

Chicago cultural leaders and directors of its major museums comprise the award’s jury-selection committee. The honorary Chairman is Douglas Druick, President and Eloise W. Martin Director of the Art Institute of Chicago. Members include: Elizabeth Glassman, President and CEO of the Terra Foundation for American Art; Anthony Hirschel, Director of the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago; Eilene Mackevich, Founding Director of the Chicago Humanities Festival and Director of the Lincoln Museum, Springfield; Janine Mileaf, Director of the Arts Club of Chicago; Lisa Wainwright, Dean of Faculty and Vice President of Academic Affairs, SAIC; and Helen Zell, art collector and former chairman of the board of the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Douglas Druick notes, "For more than a century, the Art Institute has worked with its partner, the School of the Art Institute, to bring art—historical or newly created—both to Chicagoans and to the widest possible public. Certainly, scholarship and publication are critical to these efforts, and I am proud to serve as the honorary chairman of the jury steering committee that recognizes the scholarly accomplishments of SAIC faculty."

Walter E. Massey notes, “The large and diverse faculty of SAIC is composed of scholars and artists engaged in every element of the arts. Their publications of merit include works in critical theory, contemporary art, photography, fashion, and graphic design, in addition to many other areas. Given the quality of their work, I am certain it will be very difficult for the jury to choose one winner.”

About Jean Goldman
Dr. Goldman, a philanthropist as well as a former faculty member at SAIC, is a noted art historian with a specialty in Old Master drawings. She has published on the topic of 16th- and 17th-century Italian drawings, a cornerstone of the Goldmans’ personal collection. She has lectured at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, and SAIC. Her deep commitment to the arts in Chicago is further evidenced by her numerous leadership roles at the Art Institute of Chicago, including the Board of Trustees and the Woman’s Board. She is an honorary lifetime member of the museum’s Old Masters Society and also sits on the advisory committees to Prints and Drawings and European Painting.

About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees and post-baccalaureate programs to nearly 3,200 students from around the globe. SAIC also enables adults, high school students, middle school students, and children to flourish in a variety of courses, workshops, certificate programs, and camps through its Continuing Studies program. Located in the heart of Chicago, SAIC has an educational philosophy built upon an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, giving students unparalleled opportunities to develop their creative and critical abilities, while working with renowned faculty who include many of the leading practitioners in their fields. SAIC's resources include the Art Institute of Chicago and its new Modern Wing; numerous special collections and programming venues provide students with exceptional exhibitions, screenings, lectures, and performances. For more information, please visit saic.edu.

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