Agents of Change: 2026 Neddy Artist Award Exhibition

Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University is proud to present the 2026 Neddy Artist Award Exhibition, Agents of Change. The exhibition features the work of eight artists from the Puget Sound region in both painting and open medium. This year’s exhibition features work from Fumi Amano, Dana Blume, Jo Cosme, Francesca Lohmann, Sangram Majumdar, Cristina Martinez, ralph salazar, and Lila Thomas – curated by Ellen Ito.

Exhibition Statement

Through their individual explorations of unfixed narratives, these eight artists actively position their practices and themselves as agents of change. They initiate transformation by challenging the status quo, each fostering innovative ways of thinking, operating, seeing, and feeling. These artists, with disparate practices and ways of embodying change, thrive both individually and collectively, their shared resilience creating a powerful narrative of progress.

Crowds peer at each other as a drawing reaches for the ceiling
Taffy makes a languorous escape
A monolithic hunk of styrofoam asks you to look deeply, breathe, and listen.
Layers of color build visual sanctuaries of warmth and calm
An enormous womb patiently awaits your return
Portraits hold space and share energy
An arcade favorite wants to remind you of the impact of extractive tourism
Crestfallen soft creatures consider their options
Expressing themselves through painting, sculpture, performance, and installation, these
artists/agents engage in restorative labor:
Raising awareness about the ongoing harms of imperialism,
delving into the art historical canon to reconfigure meaning,
formally subverting fixed cultural and aesthetic norms, activating
temporal relationships with materials, and centering care.