Big Medium and the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum have announced Lisa B. Woods as the recipient of the second annual Oliver Franklin Award.
The award was created in honor of Mr. Franklin, who served as the curator/director of the Elisabet Ney Museum for a decade before his death in 2022, and celebrates women leaders in the arts. The honor includes an unrestricted grant of $5,000. Celina Zisman was the inaugural recipient of the award.
Lisa B. Woods
Ms. Woods is a Texas-based artist and designer whose work explores the potential of technology to transform spaces. She holds an MFA from California College of the Arts in San Francisco and a BA in Communications from St. Edward’s University in Austin. Her work has been exhibited at various organizations, including UNESCO Media Arts, Hopscotch Immersive Media Gallery, and SXSW Convergence in Austin; Rojo Gallery in San Antonio; and Nicole Longnecker Gallery in Houston. Ms. Woods has also participated in residency programs in Brescia, Italy, and in Los Angeles.
Beyond her artistic practice, Ms. Woods is the owner and founder of And&And Studios in Austin, a space that provides resources to artists and presents events. Previously she co-founded and co-directed dadageek School for Creative Coding and Expressive Tech, an international community of artists offering online courses and workshops; and founded and organized Interactive Installation Meetup, a gathering of creatives interested in immersive art experiences.
An announcement released by Big Medium noted, “We applaud Lisa B Woods for her outstanding achievements and her commitment to advancing the arts in our community.
The Oliver Franklin Award is a testament to the enduring impact of individuals like Woods and the lasting legacy of Oliver Franklin himself.”
The selection committee for this year’s award included Lindsay Barras, the Education Coordinator at the Elisabet Ney Museum; Ms. Zisman, the inaugural Oliver Franklin Awardee, a strategist, and Chair for the City of Austin’s Arts Commission; and Coka Treviño, the Curator and Director of Programming at Big Medium.
