Congratulations, Trisha Brown - 2011 Gish Prize winner

Established in 1994, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize is given annually to “a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life.” Named after the silent film actresses, who left most of their estates to the arts, the $300,000 Gish Prize is one of the largest in the arts and is meant to honor groundbreaking figures in all disciplines.

Receiving it in its 18th year, Brown joins a formidable and eclectic roster of artists — see below — many of whom, like Brown, have had lengthy associations with the Walker. Bill T. Jones, for instance, performed an open rehearsal with his company just last night; and the 10-day festival The Next Stage: Merce Cunningham at the Walker Art Center unfolds starting in late October.

In 2008, the Walker presented an exhibition of Brown’s drawings and other artworks integrating the performing and visual arts, along with several performances of her early work, in Trisha Brown: So That the Audience Does Not Know Whether I Have Stopped Dancing.

Congratulations to Ms. Brown on this latest honor in recognizing her work and its influence. More about the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize here.