2021 CADD FUND WINNER

Christopher Wright Evans

MFA UNT


The MAC invites you to the opening reception for 

 2021 CADD FUND WINNER

Christopher Wright Evans, Country Mile

Saturday, May 21, 2022, 6-9 pm

Thank you to all who tuned in to watch and vote for CADD FUND 2021! It was a truly incredible event and for those who missed it please click on this link! VIRTUAL CADD FUND 2021

After counting all the votes Christopher Wright Evans was declared the winner on Sunday, January 17th! CADD gave away $7,200 in total — $3600 to the winner and $720 to each of the five other applicants; Stephanie Gerhart - MFA, UNT, 2020p; Jihye Han - MFA Candidate, UNT; Abby Pfaff - BFA, UNT 2019; Shayna Sutton - BFA Candidate, UTA; and Audrey Travis - MFA, TCU, 2018.

Special thanks to Judy Vetter, Karen Weiner, Gail Sachson, and Andrea Perez for their support of CADD FUND 2021!

ABOUT THE WINNER

CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT EVANS makes images about the vernacular landscape, occasionally using practical, in camera effects to highlight the illusion of representation that photography facilitates. Evans’ work circles around an interest in the role of the familiar as the backdrop for a digital life. He graduated from the University of North Texas with a MFA in photography in the Spring of 2020. He currently lives and works in New York City.

Evans was a CADD FUND finalist in 2018, 2019, and 2020. In 2020 he was selected to participate in the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s MODERN BILLINGS as well as a “how-to film” series with the Art Galleries at Texas Christian University, in collaboration with Melissa Gamez-Herrera, Chris Wicker and David Blandy.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

COUNTRY MILE is a book project consisting of photographs made between 2012-20 along desolate stretches of highway and the outskirts of tourist destinations and roadside attractions. The Destinations photographs in this book are often superficial sites that sell coffee mugs celebrating our founding fathers alongside a salted pretzel and a cheese coney. These places are, in their own way, mile markers of a misunderstood and incomplete picture of America’s cultural heritage. Funding from the CADD FUND will pay for the production of 10 artists books, and kick start several studio projects. 

ABOUT THE EVENT

CADD FUND is a fun, fast paced event of sharing innovative ideas about potential artistic projects that makes possible a high-impact idea needing the support of the DFW arts community.

Since 2014, CADD has hosted six exciting events surrounding the annual CADD FUND. During the event, the finalists present short proposals for original and yet-to-be-realized new projects. Members of the audience ask questions and then vote for their favorite project. The finalist with the most votes is declared the winner!.

With the money for the prize being funded by generous donors rather than ticket sales as in previous years, the event will be free to all to watch and vote, which we hope will energize and bring together our North Texas art community. This year, in addition to the cash prize, the winner will also receive an exhibition opportunity to help realize their project. While CADD FUND is about raising much-needed cash, we hope that it will also be a forum to discuss the many other needs and resources that help make projects happen.

CADD FUND 2021 is awarded to a current or previous B.A., B.F.A., M.A., M.F.A., or Ph.D. (in a related field) graduate or candidate from an institution within 100 miles of Dallas.

The finalists were selected from over 25 submissions, by three esteemed jurors; Katherine Brodbeck – Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, Dallas Museum of Art; Kristen Gaylord – Assistant Curator of Photographs, Amon Carter Museum of American Art; and Frank Hettig – Director of Modern and Contemporary Art, Heritage Auctions.