Utah Museum of Contemporary Art Announces Elizabeth Malaska as Winner of $15,000 2025 Catherine Doctorow Prize for Contemporary Painting

SALT LAKE CITY, April 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA), in partnership with the Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation, is pleased to announce that Portland-based artist Elizabeth Malaska has been awarded the 2025 Catherine Doctorow Prize for Contemporary Painting.

The biennial award includes a $15,000 unrestricted cash prize and a solo exhibition of Malaska's work at UMOCA, on view from September 26, 2025 through January 3, 2026.

Malaska's richly layered paintings explore themes of protection, vulnerability, and transformation through symbolic imagery, mythological references, and expressive treatment of the human form. Her work weaves together moments of clarity and abstraction, creating dreamlike compositions that invite introspection.

"UMOCA is honored to award Elizabeth Malaska the 2025 Catherine Doctorow Prize for Contemporary Painting," said Jared Steffensen, UMOCA's Curator of Exhibitions. "We look forward to sharing her thoughtful and emotionally resonant paintings with our Utah community."

Suzanne Larson, daughter of Catherine Doctorow, remarked, "From the beginning, the Catherine Doctorow Prize has recognized artists who push the boundaries of painting. The Doctorow Family Foundation is thrilled to continue this tradition by awarding Elizabeth Malaska the prize this year."

Born in 1978 in Portland, Oregon, Malaska holds a BFA from California College of the Arts and an MFA in Visual Studies from Pacific Northwest College of Art. She is a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, recipient of the 2022 Betty Bowen Award, a Painter's and Sculptor's Grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation, and a Hallie Ford Fellowship from The Ford Family Foundation. Her work is held in the permanent collections of the Seattle Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, and others.

The Catherine Doctorow Prize is one of the few national awards recognizing achievement in contemporary painting and reflects UMOCA's ongoing commitment to supporting artists at critical stages in their careers.

SOURCE Utah Museum of Contemporary Art