Since 2001, the Smithsonian American Art Museum has honored one artist annually with the $25,000 Lucelia Artist Award. In order to be eligible, artists must be under the age of 50 and either American or living in the United States. Each of the five distinguished jurors, including artists, critics, curators and scholars, nominate three artists in recognition of their contribution to the art scene in the U.S. and abroad. Following initial selection, the jurors examine the work of the 15 candidates and unanimously select the winner.

The current exhibit was curated by Sidra Stitch and showcases one major work from each of the six winners since 2001: Jorge Pardo, Liz Larner, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Kara Walker, Andrea Zittel, and Matthew Coolidge. Two very different themes resonate through the works of these six artists: political controversy and utilitarianism.

The most recognizable artist in the show is Kara Walker, whose 1998 Virginia’s Lynch Mob, pictured above, spans an entire wall. Walker’s work consists of large-scale silhouetted images depicting racially charged scenes of slavery and violence in the old South. Walker uses silhouettes not only to create ambiguity about the pictured perpetrators of abuse, but to reference traditional art forms of the 18th and 19th centuries. Walker’s work in this series is always quite interesting and well worth visiting. A photographic portrait of Kara Walker is also currently on display at the Adamson Gallery’s Chuck Close exhibit.

Another politically charged piece on display is Liz Larner’s RWBs. The red, white, black, blue and silver sculpture is made out of found, contorted aluminum tubes, wrapped in sewn cloth sleeves. The piece was created in response to statements made by Colin Powell when the current administration was making the case for war on Iraq. Stating that aluminum tubes much like those featured in Larner’s sculpture were found in Iraq, Powell claimed this as evidence of Iraq’s possession of WMDs. Larner’s sculpture, however, appears festive and celebratory, as if this is what remains after a huge Independence Day celebration.

Image of Kara Walker's Virginia's Lynch Mob, 1998. Cut paper and adhesive on wall, 10x37 feet. Image courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

Rirkrit Tiravanija, the 2003 winner, bridges the gap between politics and utilitarianism with his Untitled (tropical house). The wooden structure recreates a house developed in the mid 20th century by architect Jean Prouvé. Prouvé’s pre-fab housing was designed for French workers who had been assigned to colonize Africa. In contrast, Tiravanija’s work is a smaller version using materials from his birth country, Thailand, and includes a stack of visa applications next to a sign reading “Apply for visa here.” The inclusion of these items refers to the artist’s identification as a nomad, especially following 2001, when it became increasingly difficult for him to travel between countries.

The featured work of 2005 winner Andrea Zittel is even more utilitarian than Tiravanija. Zittel’s A-Z Homestead Office for Lisa Ivorian Gray is exactly what it sounds like: a free-standing, functional office. The space examines the way we function, and pairs all necessities down to a minimum. The personalized living space features many items with multiple uses and bountiful storage space. While Zittel’s work emphasizes freedom from possessions and large spaces, curator Sidra Stich also claims the space is a bit claustrophic, thus adding another dimension to the work. Clearly, Stich’s home and office are larger than most city-dwellers, for the approximately 10 x 10 foot office did not seem small at all to this DCist writer. Furthermore, one wonders if Zittel was contracted by any of the condo development firms in D.C. whose mottos seem to emphasize utilitarian living spaces. The Smithsonian’s embracing of such practical art forms is intriguing; is this art or interior design, or does it matter?

Another selected artist who could fit right in with D.C.’s condo development firms is 2001 winner Jorge Prado. His featured work is beautifully crafted and consists of 70 blue, handmade blown glass lamps hanging at varied heights. Like Zittel’s Homestead Office, Prado’s work certainly emphasizes art in relation to function, and uses art to change the ambience of a space.

The final artist on exhibit is Matthew Coolidge, the director of the Center for Land Use Interpretation in California. Fifteen framed posters from the group’s exhibitions, tours, publications and on-site stations are on display. The Center serves to document and archive human-influenced landscapes. The group’s motives are a bit unusual. It would seem that the group is politically and environmentally motivated, but instead, they simply want to attune people to the visual phenomena created by man. Featured posters include “Immersed Remains: Towns Submerged in America,” “Subterranean Renovations: The Unique Architectural Spaces of Show Caves,” and “Proximity Issues: The Barricades of the Federal District.” The most interesting poster, “Emergency State: First Responder and Law Enforcement Training Architecture,” documents a mock town, including a small gas station, fire hydrant, store and hotel, which the L.A.P.D. apparently uses to train its police officers. It’s hard to imagine that training in a fake town reminiscent of old cowboy movies is all that effective, and it is observations like this that make the work of the Center for Land Use Interpretation quite curious.

In conjunction with this exhibit commemorating the Lucelia Artist Award winners from the past six years, the Smithsonian American Art Museum announced this year's winner: Jessica Stockholder. Having shown in exhibitions all of the world, including the Whitney and Venice Biennials, Stockholder's work will fit in neatly with the other winners -- though her work is not on display this year -- as she uses ready-made every day utilitarian objects, such as lamps, cushions, shoe laces and construction materials, and transforms them into colorful sculptures and installations.

Image of Andrea Zittel's A-Z Homestead Office for Lisa Ivorian-Gray, 2003, aluminum, cherry wood, paint, glass, corrugated metal, vinyl logo. Copyright Andrea Zittel, Courtesy of the artist and Andrea Rosen Gallery, Photo by Oren Slor.

Celebrating the Lucelia Artist Award, 2001-2006 will be at the Smithsonian American Art Museum through June 22, 2008. The museum is located at 8th and F Streets, NW and is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.