The Dorothea & Leo Rabkin Foundation in Portland, Maine, has named eight recipients of its 2025 Rabkin Prize for visual arts journalists. Each winner receives an unrestricted $50,000 grant. This year's honorees are Tempestt Hazel, Jessica Lynne, Nicole Martinez, Brandy McDonnell, America Meredith, Eva Recinos, Paul Chaat Smith, and J Wortham. The foundation also commissioned portraits by photographer Kevin J. Miyazaki and will publish a series of interviews with the winners starting September 10.
Launched in 2017, the Rabkin Prize is one of the largest grants specifically for visual arts journalists, offering substantial financial support and recognition at a time when arts criticism and reporting face economic pressures. The unrestricted nature of the award allows writers to pursue their work without constraints, underscoring the foundation's commitment to sustaining critical discourse around visual art. The inclusion of Indigenous writers and editors also highlights a growing recognition of diverse voices in arts journalism.