FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Springfield, MO. (March 22, 2021) – The Springfield Art Museum is pleased to announce that Oklahoma artist Crystal Z Campbell has received the biennial Four by Four (4x4): 2020 Midwest Invitational Exhibition cash award of $3,000. This award is meant to propel an artist’s studio practice, providing funds for equipment, study, travel, or other needs that will help them in their career. Campbell was selected to receive the 4x4 prize by this year’s juror of awards, Maryamsadat Amirvaghefi, Assistant Director of Exhibitions at the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville.
The 4x4: 2020 Midwest Invitational Exhibition is being held in 2021 due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020. Campbell’s work is currently on view along with bodies of work by Rebecca Drolen (Arkansas), Rebecca Hackemann (Kansas), and Glyneisha Johnson (Missouri). Campbell joins previous 4x4 winners Sage Dawson (2014, Missouri), Andrew Casto (2016, Kansas), and Dawn Holder (2018, Arkansas).
Campbell notes, “This year has been a year like no other: toppled monuments, uprisings, massive displacement, economic instability, a pandemic/quarantine orders, drastic climate change, a siege, and demands for public reckoning. For me, these events have raised questions around the increasing possibilities of video as a critical tool for self-determination, invention, evidence, surveillance, intervention, document, testimony, and record. I plan to use this award to secure professional equipment which will allow me to continue being a witness to the questions that these events have raised, and being a witness to the questions we have of each other… this award is an opportunity to persist.”
Amirvaghefi had the unenviable task of selecting this year’s prize winner from four bodies of work that are impactful and timely. She states, “Crystal Z Campbell’s multi-media installations create an immersive experience that allows viewers a glimpse into her fantastical world. Campbell’s labyrinth of hallways and screens utilize architecture to create a melodramatic voyage that explores well-known secrets that remain unsaid. I was impressed with Campbell’s ability to activate my experience with memory, history, and everyday life. Selecting a winner for the exhibition was astonishingly difficult… My selection of Crystal Z Campbell represents my interest in the various media employed and the unique style of her installation. I hope that each visitor allows themselves the space to select their own winner, as each artist is very deserving.”
PUBLIC PROGRAMS: All public programs and events remain cancelled through April 9, 2021 in accordance with Phase 3C of the City of Springfield, MO Road to Recovery Plan. Face masks are required in accordance with City of Springfield, MO ordinance and social distancing is encouraged.
See the 4x4: 2020 Midwest Invitational Exhibition through July 27, 2021 in our New Wing Galleries. Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. The Springfield Art Museum is located at 1111 East Brookside Drive. Admission is always free. Donations are gratefully accepted.
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The Springfield Art Museum is Springfield, Missouri’s oldest cultural institution, founded in 1928. A department of the City of Springfield, the Museum invites you to connect with the world, your community, and yourself through active engagement with art objects. For more information, please visit www.sgfmuseum.org or contact Joshua Best, Museum Affairs Officer at (417) 874-2859 or jbest@springfieldmo.gov.
