PROVIDENCE, RI.- The RISD Museum announced Khalil McKnight (RISD Painting, 2027) as the recipient of the 2026 Dorner Prize, the museum’s annual juried competition supporting student artists in the creation of site-specific work. McKnight’s winning proposal, The Observer, is a performance that will unfold within the museum’s Grand Gallery, offering a critical lens on institutional space, access, and presence.

Selected by jurors Gabrielle Walker, Nancy Elizabeth Prophet Curatorial Assistant, and Michael Demps, Associate Professor in RISD’s Experimental and Foundation Studies, McKnight’s project centers on a series of live performances in which the artist inhabits the role of a museum visitor. Wearing a garment constructed from repurposed black hoodies, drawing inspiration from Egungun and New Orleans masquerade traditions, McKnight silently moves through the galleries while making written assessments of the historical paintings on view.

Through this embodied act, The Observer examines the relationship of Black and Brown bodies to museum spaces, interrogating systems of visibility, belonging, and institutional authority. The performance invites visitors to reconsider the dynamics of observation, who is seen, who is watching, and how meaning is constructed within the museum context.

“Each year, the Dorner Prize opens a space for RISD students to deeply explore museum practices, spaces, and visitor experiences,” said Deb Clemons, Director of Public Programs at the RISD Museum. “Khalil’s work carries a quiet intensity. It asks us to slow down, to notice our own presence, and to reflect on how we encounter one another within these shared spaces.”

The final performance will take place in the RISD Museum’s Grand Gallery and will run approximately 60 minutes. Visitors are invited to drop in. Zines created by the artist, offering additional context for the work, will be available to take away during performances.