Charles Gaines Recipient of the 60th Edward MacDowell Medal

August 11, 2019

On Sunday, August 11th, 1,400 enthusiastic friends, fans, and artists gathered on the verdant grounds of The MacDowell Colony to celebrate conceptual artist Charles Gaines! The weather was stunning as Board Chairman, Fellow, and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael Chabon delivered his inspiring remarks about the power and effect of art before Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, Thelma Golden, took the stage to speak about Mr. Gaines's work and his indelible influence on the art world. The ceremony concluded with Gaines's heartfelt acceptance of the 60th Edward MacDowell Medal.

Charles Gaines joins an array of artists across disciplines that include Leonard Bernstein, John Updike, David Lynch, Georgia O'Keeffe, I.M. Pei, Merce Cunningham, Louise Nevelson, Joan Didion, Isamu Noguchi, Sonny Rollins, and Toni Morrison. For a full list of past Medal recipients, click the “History of Medal Day” button below!

View video and images of the celebration below. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020's Medalist Rosanne Cash will accept the 61st Edward MacDowell Medal in music composition on Sunday, August 8th, 2021!

To learn more about this event or to become a sponsor to keep Medal Day free and open to the public, please contact Brett Evan Solomon or call 212.535.9690.

The Medal Day attendees litter the field next to and under a large tent. They sit at tables and on the grass enjoying the sunny day.

Michael Chabon on the Power of Art in Troubling Times

Thelma Golden Introduces 60th Edward MacDowell Medalist Charles Gaines

Charles Gaines Accepts the 60th Edward MacDowell Medal

60th Edward MacDowell Medal Awarded to Charles Gaines (full ceremony)

Read the transcript of Michael Chabon's Medal Day welcome address.

Read Thelma Golden's introductory remarks about Medalist Charles Gaines.

Read 60th Edward MacDowell Medalist Charles Gaines's acceptance speech.

Scenes from 2019 Medal Day

2019 Medalist Charles Gaines smiles for a photo inside the James Baldwin Library.

Andy Senchak, a woman, David Macy, Michael Chabon, Charles Gaines, and Phillip Himberg gather for a photo

Charles Gaines holds his Medal and poses with two other VIPs

Michael Chabon, Charles Gaines, and two other VIPs pose together

Michael Chabon and Charles Gaines pose together and hold the Edward MacDowell Medal between them.

Speakers and VIPs applaud Medal winner Charles Gaines

The audience celebrates Medal winner Charles Gaines with a standing ovation

Michael Chabon stands next to Medal winner Charles Gaines who is holding up his medal and smiling widely.

Medal Day ceremony speakers and VIPs sit in a row of chairs on stage.

Michael Chabon stands at the podium and speaks to the audience. The other speakers and VIPs are seated in a row to his left

Andy Senchak stands at the podium and speaks to the audience during the ceremony

MacDowell Medalist Charles Gaines stands at the podium and speaks to the audience during the ceremony

2019 Edward MacDowell Medal winner smiles next to his wife after the ceremony

Medal Day attendees eat a picnic with their dog

picnickers gather around tables set up on a field next to a large tent

Medal Day attendees study a map of the grounds while they enjoy a picnic lunch

Medal Day attendees enjoy conversation and a picnic lunch while sitting around a table.

Medal Day attendees sit on a blanket in the field and enjoy a picnic from a basket

Medal Day attendees look at artwork hung on the wall while touring the James Baldwin Library

Medal Day attendees get a tour of a Fellow's studio and see what the artist is creating during their stay at MacDowell

Medal Day attendees get a tour of a Fellow's studio and the artist does a short performance for them

Friends walk together along one of the paths on the MacDowell grounds during the studio tours part of Medal Day

A family walks together along one of the paths on the MacDowell grounds during the studio tours part of Medal Day

History of Medal Day

The Edward MacDowell Medal in the Arts is a national award presented each summer to an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to the national culture. The award rotates among the disciplines practiced at MacDowell. Following the ceremony, visitors enjoy a picnic lunch and tour open studios. Both the award ceremony and the open studios are free, and open to the public.

Discover the history of Medal Day

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About the Edward MacDowell Medal

The Edward MacDowell Medal has been awarded annually since 1960 to an individual artist who has made an outstanding contribution to their field. These artists include Leonard Bernstein, John Updike, Georgia O'Keeffe, I.M. Pei, Stephen Sondheim, and Toni Morrison. The artistic discipline in which the award is given rotates in order to celebrate all of the creative fields practiced at MacDowell.

Edward MacDowell Medalist

Charles Gaines

A pivotal figure in the field of conceptual art, Charles Gaines’ body of work engages formulas and systems that interrogate relationships between the objective and the subjective realms. Using a generative approach to create series of works in a variety of mediums, he has built a bridge between the early…

Learn more about Charles Gaines

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