CUE Art Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of an annual art prize with Aon, a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions.
The Aon-CUE Artist Empowerment Award recognizes one emerging artist annually with an honorarium and a year-long exhibition. The first recipient of the Aon-CUE Artist Empowerment Award is visual artist Beverly Acha, who is exhibiting a series of eight contemporary paintings inspired by her observations of the physical environment and the psychological aspects of space in an exhibition titled Interlude.
“As a leader in the visual arts community, CUE is excited to partner with Aon to build on a shared set of values around empowering individuals to realize their full potential,” said Corina Larkin, Executive Director of CUE. “Beverly Acha is a very promising young artist with a growing track record of exhibitions and this award and exhibition will support what will undoubtedly be a long and successful career.”
Since its founding in 2002, CUE has developed a track record for impacting the lives of artists, exhibiting more than 170 under-recognized and emerging artists, many of whom have gone on to great commercial and critical success. CUE has also trained more than 6,000 artists in practical skills through the nonprofit’s professional development programs, mentored more than 120 emerging art critics and encouraged more than 2,000 high school students to fulfill their dreams to become artists through intensive after school programs.
“As we moved into our new office in New York, we sought to find opportunities to spark conversations and connections between our colleagues, clients and the communities in which we live and work,” said LeAnne McCorry, Resident Managing Director and CEO of New York, Commercial Risk Solutions, Aon. “We are thrilled to partner with CUE to create awareness of under-represented artists like Beverly Acha and provide much needed support and exhibition space for their work in our new office.”
LeAnne added, “Through Huntington T. Block Insurance, Aon is a leading provider of specialty fine art and musical instrument insurance, working with 1,500 museums, 800 private collections, 500 art galleries, 350 artists and conservators in addition to over 5,000 musicians, symphony orchestras and musical instrument dealers. We know that our colleagues and clients care deeply about the arts and we hope this new award will have lasting impact on the thriving creative community in New York City and beyond.”
Beverly Acha is a visual artist born in Miami, FL. Recent solo shows include Warm Form at Underdonk in Brooklyn, NY (2018) and Mutualities at the Roswell Museum and Art Center in Roswell, NM (2016). Acha has been awarded residencies from the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (2018), Lighthouse Works (2017), Wassaic Project (2017), and Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program (2016-17). Acha is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in Studio Art at Oberlin College. She holds a BA from Williams College and an MFA from Yale University School of Art.