Eight Art Writers Awarded $50,000 Each in 2026 Rabkin Prize

On September 10, 2026, the Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation announced the winners of its 2026 Rabkin Prize. This annual award recognises eight art writers based in the United States, each of whom receives a $50,000 cash prize. The Rabkin Prize is intended to support and honour writers who have made significant contributions to art criticism and writing.

This year’s recipients represent a range of backgrounds, including academics, podcasters, journalists, and curators. Among the honourees is Julia Halperin, contributor to The Art Newspaper and former editor, who is also co-founder of the Burns Halperin Report. Other winners include Damien Davis, an artist and writer from New Jersey; Melaine Ferdinand-King, inaugural curator of the African American Museum of Rhode Island; and Tyler Green, host of The Modern Art Notes Podcast.

The list of awardees also features Alicia Inez Guzmán, a writer based in the Southwest; Sarah Lewis, a Harvard University professor, founder of the Vision & Justice initiative, and curator of a recent exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago; Jan Tumlir, founding editor of the contemporary art journal X-TRA in Los Angeles; and Kaelen Wilson-Goldie, an independent journalist and critic.

Many of the 2026 awardees address themes such as politics, power, race, equity, and representation in their work, both within the art world and in broader contexts. The selection process for the Rabkin Prize involves nominations, with an independent jury reviewing candidates based on recent work samples and resumes. This year’s jury consisted of Irene Borger, founding director of the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts; Jaime DeSimone, chief curator at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Maine; and Legacy Russell, director and chief curator of The Kitchen in New York.

A series of interviews with the prize winners is scheduled to be released online on September 16, 2026, providing further insight into their perspectives and work. The Rabkin Prize continues to highlight the essential role of art writers in shaping cultural conversations and advancing critical discourse.