Pasadena Artists Among Recipients of Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grants

Two Pasadena-based artists, Ekta Aggarwal and Manjari Sharma, have been named recipients of the 2023-2024 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Artist Grants. They are among 97 artists and nonprofit organizations awarded a total of $3.07 million during the foundation’s July 2023 to June 2024 grant cycle.

The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, approaching its 40th anniversary in 2025, has awarded more than 5,100 grants totaling over $90 million in 80 countries since its establishment in 1985. The foundation provides funding to professional artists internationally to support the creation of new works and the advancement of their practices.

“Lee Krasner established the Pollock-Krasner Foundation as a demonstration of her commitment to supporting generations of visual artists to follow,” said Ronald D. Spencer, Chairman and CEO of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation. “For almost forty years, the Foundation has provided artists with vital funding through which they can create new works, expand their practice, and contribute to the field as a whole.”

This year’s grant recipients span 10 countries – including 12 states and Washington, D.C. in the United States. The geographic reach includes artists from South Dakota, New York, Spain, and India, among other locations globally.

Ekta Aggarwal, a multidisciplinary artist based in Delhi and Los Angeles, has an MFA in Art from California Institute of the Arts, an MA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Arts, and a BA in Economics from Hindu College, University of Delhi. Her work has been shown at various galleries in Los Angeles, New York, London, and Delhi.

Manjari Sharma, an internationally recognized LA-based Visual Artist, explores ritual, identity, memory, and mythology in her work. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Sharma uses photography, sound, motion, projection, and collage in her storytelling. She is an Associate Professor at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena and her works are in the permanent collections of several museums.

The foundation also announced Toba Tucker as the recipient of the 2024 Lee Krasner Award, given in recognition of a lifetime of artistic achievement. Tucker, a contemporary American photographer, documents continuity and change in American culture, with a focus on Native American populations and communities, as well as various other subjects.

The Lee Krasner Award distributes funds to recipients in three installments. Recent award winners Oliver Lee Jackson and Josely Carvalho received additional installments of their award during this grant cycle.

The foundation has also awarded grants to 23 organizations, including the Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., and the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture in New York, N.Y. Additionally, the Musée National Picasso-Paris received support for an exhibition catalog, and the Portland Art Museum’s presentation of Jeffrey Gibson’s exhibition at the Venice Biennale was also supported.

Applications for the Pollock-Krasner Foundation’s individual grant program are accepted year-round. For more information or to apply, visit www.pkf.org.