Pelham Art Center is pleased to present a solo exhibition of the work of Sarah McKenzie, 2019 Alexander Rutsch Award in Painting winner. Sarah McKenzie’s artwork explores the architecture of exhibition space: art fair tents, minimalist gallery interiors, and video-screening rooms. “I am interested in the notion of spectacle and the role that architecture plays in orienting the viewer’s experience of a work of art,” says the artist. Her visceral depictions of spaces in a state of flux emphasize geometry, pattern, and surface, walking the line between realism and abstraction.

The biennial Alexander Rutsch Award and Exhibition for Painting is a juried competition open to U.S.-based artists age 19 and older. Pelham Art Center proudly sponsors this competition and award honoring the memory and artistic achievement of artist Alexander Rutsch (1916 – 1997). Rutsch actively supported Pelham Art Center for more than 25 years. After his death, friends, family and supporters established a generous fund to support a biennial, open, juried competition in painting. Now in its 10th year, Sarah McKenzie was selected from among ten finalists and 467 total applicants from across the country to receive this prestigious award.