Call for Nominations: Eldredge Book Prize
Deadline: January 15, 2026
The Smithsonian American Art Museum invites nominations for the 2026 Charles C. Eldredge Prize. Single-author books devoted to any aspect of the visual arts of the United States and published in the three previous calendar years are eligible. To nominate a book, send a letter explaining the work’s significance to the field of U.S.-American art history and discussing the quality of the author’s scholarship and methodology. Self-nominations and nominations by publishers are not permitted. Please send all nominations to eldredge@si.edu.
Learn more at americanart.si.edu/research/awards/eldredge.
Tag: Charles C. Eldredge Prize
Call for Nominations: 2025 Charles C. Eldredge Prize
Call for Nominations: 2025 Charles C. Eldredge Prize
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Charles C. Eldredge Prize. The prize is awarded annually by the museum for outstanding scholarship in the field of American art. A cash award of $3,000 is made to the author of a recent book-length publication that provides new insight into works of art, the artists who made them, or aspects of history and theory that enrich our understanding of America’s artistic heritage. The Eldredge Prize seeks to recognize originality and thoroughness of research, excellence of writing, clarity of method, and significance for professional or public audiences. It is especially meant to honor those authors who deepen or focus debates in the field, or who broaden the discipline by reaching beyond traditional boundaries.
Single-author books devoted to any aspect of the visual arts of the United States and published in the three previous calendar years (2022, 2023, 2024) are eligible. To nominate a book, send a one-page letter explaining the work’s significance to the field of American art history and discussing the quality of the author’s scholarship and methodology. Nominations by authors or publishers for their own books will not be considered. The deadline for nominations is January 15, 2025. Please send to: Eldredge@si.edu. Further information about the prize may be found at americanart.si.edu/research/awards/eldredge.
2024 Eldredge Prize awarded to Megan A. Smetzer
Congratulations to Megan A. Smetzer! The Smithsonian American Art Museum is excited to announce that the 36th Annual Charles C. Eldredge Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in American Art has been awarded to Dr. Smetzer for her book “Painful Beauty: Tlingit Women, Beadwork, and the Art of Resilience” (University of Washington Press, 2021).
The annual Eldredge Prize is presented to the author of a recent book-length publication that enriches our understanding of art history of the United States. The winner is chosen by a jury of three distinguished scholars on the basis of the work’s originality, quality of research and writing, clarity of method, and significance for the field.
This year’s jurors were Karen Mary Davalos of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Amy M. Mooney of Columbia College Chicago, and Laura Kina of the Art School of DePaul University.
In conjunction with the award, Smetzer will present the annual Eldredge Prize Lecture on March 13, 2025. Details and more information will be available online at americanart.si.edu/events.
For more information about the Eldredge Prize, please see the press release: https://americanart.si.edu/press/2024/10/megan-smetzer-awarded-36th-annual-eldredge-prize-painful-beauty-tlingit-women.
Call for Nominations: Eldredge Prize at Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Charles C. Eldredge Prize. The prize is awarded annually by the museum for outstanding scholarship in the field of American art. A cash award of $3,000 is made to the author of a recent book-length publication that provides new insight into works of art, the artists who made them, or aspects of history and theory that enrich our understanding of America’s artistic heritage. The Eldredge Prize seeks to recognize originality and thoroughness of research, excellence of writing, clarity of method, and significance for professional or public audiences. It is especially meant to honor those authors who deepen or focus debates in the field, or who broaden the discipline by reaching beyond traditional boundaries.
Single-author books devoted to any aspect of the visual arts of the United States and published in the three previous calendar years (2021, 2022, 2023) are eligible. To nominate a book, send a one-page letter explaining the work’s significance to the field of American art history and discussing the quality of the author’s scholarship and methodology. Nominations by authors or publishers for their own books will not be considered. The deadline for nominations is January 15, 2024. Please send to: Eldredge@si.edu. Further information about the prize may be found at americanart.si.edu/research/awards/eldredge.
Call for Nominations: 2023 Charles C. Eldredge Prize
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Charles C. Eldredge Prize. The prize is awarded annually by the museum for outstanding scholarship in the field of American art. A cash award of $3,000 is made to the author of a recent book-length publication that provides new insight into works of art, the artists who made them, or aspects of history and theory that enrich our understanding of America’s artistic heritage. The Eldredge Prize seeks to recognize originality and thoroughness of research, excellence of writing, clarity of method, and significance for professional or public audiences. It is especially meant to honor those authors who deepen or focus debates in the field, or who broaden the discipline by reaching beyond traditional boundaries.
Single-author books devoted to any aspect of the visual arts of the United States and published in the three previous calendar years (2020, 2021, 2022) are eligible. To nominate a book, send a one-page letter explaining the work’s significance to the field of American art history and discussing the quality of the author’s scholarship and methodology. Nominations by authors or publishers for their own books will not be considered. The deadline for nominations is January 15, 2023. Please send to: Eldredge@si.edu. Further information about the prize may be found at americanart.si.edu/research/awards/eldredge.
ACRAH 