NEW YORK, NY.- Independent Curators International — the leading arts organization focusing on the role of the curator in contemporary art and culture — announced today that it will honor Marian Goodman with the 2016 Leo Award. Named after early ICI supporter and legendary art dealer Leo Castelli, the award honors extraordinary commitment to artists and pioneering contributions to the field of contemporary art. The award will be presented to Mrs. Goodman at ICI’s Annual Benefit & Auction in New York City on Wednesday October 26, 2016.

With the Leo Award this year, ICI recognizes a steadfast advocate for artists and contemporary art, and continues to commemorate Castelli’s legacy by recognizing for the first time another pioneer gallerist.

In 1965, Mrs. Goodman founded Multiples, which published prints, multiples and books by leading American and European artists, including John Baldessari (ICI Trustee, 1994–2000), Marcel Broodthaers, Roy Lichtenstein (ICI Leo Award 1997), and Gerhard Richter. In 1977, she opened Marian Goodman Gallery with an exhibition of Broodthaers, the Belgian artist’s first in the U.S. Since then, the gallery has led the way in introducing international artists to American audiences, while also opening exhibition spaces in Paris in 1997, and most recently in London in 2014.

For half a century, Goodman has shown deep commitment to fostering the careers of some of the most significant and respected artists of our times, with a distinctive vision — international in scope, thoughtful, and always intimately supportive of the creative process — that is in many ways connected to ICI’s mission.

“Last year, ICI marked its 40th anniversary, a milestone that Marian Goodman Gallery will celebrate just a year from now,” said Renaud Proch, ICI’s Executive Director. “Today, we’re proud to honor Marian Goodman for her steadfast support of so many of the artists who move us, impact society, and help us make sense of the world in which we live.”

Past recipients of the Leo Award include Michael Govan, Dimitris Daskalopoulos, Roy and Dorothy Lichtenstein, Miuccia Prada, and Dasha Zhukova. The Award will be presented at ICI’s Annual Benefit & Auction in New York City on Wednesday October 26, 2016. That evening, ICI will also present the Gerrit Lansing Independent Vision Award, given every other year to an emerging curator who will be selected among young professionals nominated by leading international curators.

Marian Goodman Gallery represents: Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Chantal Akerman, Giovanni Anselmo, Nairy Baghramian, John Baldessari, Lothar Baumgarten, Dara Birnbaum, Christian Boltanski, Marcel Broodthaers, Maurizio Cattelan, James Coleman, Tony Cragg, Richard Deacon, Tacita Dean, Rineke Dijkstra, Luciano Fabro, David Goldblatt, Dan Graham, Pierre Huyghe, Cristina Iglesias, Amar Kanwar, William Kentridge, Steve McQueen, Julie Mehretu, Annette Messager, Sabine Moritz, Juan Muñoz, Maria Nordman, Gabriel Orozco, Giulio Paolini, Giuseppe Penone, Gerhard Richter, Anri Sala, Matt Saunders, Tino Sehgal, Ettore Spalletti, Thomas Struth, Niele Toroni, Adrián Villar Rojas, Danh Vo, Jeff Wall, Lawrence Weiner, Francesca Woodman, and Yang Fudong.