Initiatives
The Sam Gilliam Foundation advances the vision and values of abstract artist Sam Gilliam by organizing and supporting significant exhibitions of the artist’s work, fostering new research and publications, and collaborating with arts organizations and institutions on initiatives that extend Gilliam’s generosity and enthusiasm for supporting emerging and longtime artists, art students, scholars, curators, and the cultural ecosystem at large.
Sam Gilliam Award
In partnership with Dia Art Foundation
In 2023, Dia Art Foundation and the Sam Gilliam Foundation established the Sam Gilliam Award, an annual award that confers a $75,000 gift and a platform for the presentation of a public program at a Dia location. The award is granted annually over 10 years to an artist working anywhere in the world who has made a significant contribution in any medium and for whom the award would be transformative. Reflecting the critical support that grants provided Sam Gilliam in developing his own practice, the Sam Gilliam Award advances the Foundation’s commitment to continuing his legacy as a teacher and champion of artists. The inaugural artist recipient is Ibrahim Mahama, and the 2025 awardee was Sheela Gowda. Currently, Edgar Calel is the 2026 artist recipient.
Gilliam Visiting Artist Program
In partnership with the Speed Art Museum
In 2023, the Speed Art Museum and the Sam Gilliam Foundation launched the Gilliam Visiting Artist Program, an initiative designed to strengthen engagement with living artists by bringing two artists to Louisville each year to create fellowship and new dialogues with Kentucky artists and community members, culminating in new collaborations and public programming both at the Museum and beyond. The inaugural artists were multi-media artists vanessa german and Eric N. Mack, and the 2026-2027 artists are acclaimed photographer Deana Lawson and Louisville-raised sculptor Brandon Ndife.
Developed in recognition of the late artist’s commitment to the city of Louisville, where he spent many of his formative years, the initiative also included the creation of the Sam Gilliam Assistant Curator of Artist Programs, a full-time position that works cross-departmentally with the Speed’s Curatorial and Learning, Engagement, and Belonging teams to manage the Gilliam Visiting Artist Program and facilitate programming and relationship-building with artists and communities in the region.
Diallo Simon-Ponte is the inaugural Sam Gilliam Assistant Curator of Artist Programs.
Sam Gilliam Lecture Series
In partnership with the Hopkins Bloomberg Center
Johns Hopkins University and the Sam Gilliam Foundation announced the launch of the Sam Gilliam Lecture Series in 2024. Hosted at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., the series honors the artistic legacy and social justice commitments of the late Sam Gilliam, who was based in Washington D.C. The series welcomes prominent artists and speakers to reflect on the intersections between contemporary art, academia, and the role art plays in advancing society. The topics align with the themes and issues addressed in Sam Gilliam’s life and work, including racial equity, democracy, and the power of art to inspire and influence critical change. The inaugural 2025 speakers were Vision & Justice founder Sarah Lewis and artist and activist Theaster Gates. The 2026 speakers are artists Coco Fusco (June) and Jeffrey Gibson (November).
