Susan-Sollins

Susan Sollins, founder and executive director of Art21, died Monday, Oct. 13.

(Courtesy photo)

UPDATED: Art21's Susan Sollins: What the ArtPrize juror admired about Grand Rapids' event

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Susan Sollins, who led ArtPrize 2014's $200,000 Juried Grand Prize panel of jurors, has died suddenly, just days after the prize was awarded in Grand Rapids.

Sollins, founder and executive director of Art21, died Monday, Oct. 13, just three days after the ArtPrize 2014 Awards Ceremony on Oct. 10, according to an obituary in today's New York Times.



No specific cause of death was given nor were funeral arrangements announced for the producer and curator of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series, "Art in the Twenty-First Century."

"Having just shared the stage with Susan at the Civic Theatre for the ArtPrize Awards, I was shocked by this very sudden and very sad news," said Christian Gaines, executive director of ArtPrize. "She made it a point to tell me right afterward how impressed she had been with the show, and a lasting image for me will be her face, lit up with surprise and joy, by the choral refrain swelling from the stage wings and from the mezzanine after the last award had been announced.

"Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues."

Sollins led the three-person panel that divided the $200,000 ArtPrize Grand Juried Prize into two $100,000 awards given to Anila Quayyum Agha for her installation, "Intersections," at the Grand Rapids Art Museum; and to Sonya Clark for her two-dimensional entry, "The Hair Craft Project," at Kendall College of Art and Design.

Related: ArtPrize 2014 $200,000 Juried Grand Prize split between 2 entries



Joining Sollins on the ArtPrize 2014 grand prize jury were Leonardo Drew and Katharina Grosse, two artists featured in Art21's upcoming seventh season of "Art in the Twenty-First Century."



The opening episode of the season debuted in Grand Rapids at ArtPrize's HUB headquarters during ArtPrize 2014.

Related: 'Art21' premiers its 2014-15 TV season tonight at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids



Art21 is best known for producing documentary films on contemporary art. But the organization also produces books, curricula and other materials to introduce contemporary art and artists to a wider audience.



ArtPrize in June announced the relationship between Art21 and ArtPrize for the sixth annual exhibition and $560,000 competition, which would include the inaugural Art21 Young Filmmakers Award.



Related: What is ArtPrize? How to explain ArtPrize to your out-of-town family and friends



Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk covers arts and entertainment for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at jkaczmarczyk@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.