SAN ANTONIO, TX.- Artpace is has been named one of the 29 recipients of the 2025 Artist Choice award, the flagship grant program of the Ruth Foundation for the Arts (Ruth Arts). This recognition includes a $40,000 unrestricted grant that will support Artpace’s continued investment in contemporary art and public programming.

Now in its fourth year, the Artist Choice program is uniquely guided by an artist-driven nomination process. Each year, Ruth Arts invites a different group of esteemed artists to nominate organizations that have shaped their creative practices and contributed to the broader cultural landscape.

This year’s nominators include:

Nayland Blake, Jamal Cyrus, Krista Franklin, Nina Ghanbarzadeh, Joy Harjo, Ishmael Houston-Jones, Bill T. Jones, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Ken Lum, Gesel Mason, Bebe Miller, Senga Nengudi, Laura Ortman, Paul Pfeiffer, Walid Raad, Yvonne Rainer, Will Rawls, Diane Simpson, Kay WalkingStick, Della Wells, and Deborah Willis.

“This year we asked nominators to recommend unsung organizations that have stood the test of time, while maintaining and fostering rigorous, dynamic programs,” said Kim Nguyen, Program Director at Ruth Arts. “We asked: What organizations shaped and transformed your practice or your understanding of the possibilities of art? What are the spaces that produce and present better ways of working and thinking and that motivate you to keep making?

“Receiving this award at such a meaningful milestone affirms the impact of our work over the past three decades,” said Riley Robinson, Director of Artpace. “For 30 years, Artpace has helped artists from around the world realize their visions and has played a pivotal role in shaping influential artistic and curatorial careers.”

Artpace joins a dynamic group of national organizations selected for their artist-centered approaches and impact, including Danspace Project, Urban Bush Women, Hyde Park Art Center, and Recess. Since the program’s inception in 2022, Artist Choice has awarded over $4.5 million to 193 organizations nationwide.

This generous support from Ruth Arts will help sustain Artpace’s free exhibitions, community events, and its internationally celebrated International Artist-in-Residence program.