NEW YORk, NY.- Having created a Center for the History of Collecting in America in 2007, The Frick Collection and Frick Art Reference Library are now pleased to announce the launch of a generous book prize. The award, to be made biennially, will be given in recognition of scholarly excellence for a completed publication that contributes significantly to the study of the history of collecting in America. Ultimately, the aim of the Center in making this award is to encourage further study and foster a greater awareness of the relevance of the subject in the history of art and culture. The launch of this prize, which will be funded for a six-year period by Sotheby’s, was announced at a dinner held in late January at The Frick Collection. The first award will be given in November 2009. Scholarly printed publications, including museum exhibition catalogues, will be considered eligible for the Sotheby’s Prize. The subject of the publication may address collecting in the United States in any category of the fine and decorative arts, Western or non-Western, from Colonial times to the present.

Comments Frick Director Anne Poulet, “The Center for the History of Collecting in America already offers a rich array of programming, all intended to encourage scholarship in this emerging area of art historical inquiry. The Center hosts a fellowship program, an annual symposium, dynamic collaborative academic courses, and much more. The Sotheby’s Prize is a notable and exciting addition, not just recognizing the achievements of those the Center hopes to engage, but, for enabling recipients to further their research. It is hoped that prize winners will be more able to take sabbaticals from teaching, curatorial, and other professional obligations, and, thus, have the time and means to pursue new research in this valuable area of study. We are grateful to Sotheby’s for generously funding the award program over the next six years, during which time three prizes will be given. As a result of this initiative, we anticipate the fulfillment of our core goal, which is to see scholarship on this fascinating topic flourish.” Adds Inge Reist, Director of the Center for the History of Collecting in America, “In so many ways, a distinguished publication stands as the summation of the programs of the Center, which supports scholarship through fellowships and research tools, encourages dialogue through symposia, and stimulates interest in the field through graduate courses. We couldn’t be more thrilled to honor and encourage scholars in this manner.”