b'THE PITTSBURGHREPORT TO THE FOUNDATIONCOMMUNITY Aneka Ingold stands withher mixed media on paper work, Formidable, at the opening of Rising Voices: The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters last May. The exhibition at Muskegon Museum of Art in Michigan celebrates the works of Bennett Prize winner Ingold and ninefinalists. FIRST IN MAY, TAMPA-BASEDfigurative realist painter,supplies. Then there are fees for submitting, teacher and mother Aneka Ingold wasnamed thefor packing and crating and shipping [to PERSON inaugural winner of TheBennett Prize, which wasexhibitions]. If organizers accept your work, you established by donors Steven Alan Bennett andhope to sell it, but you dont always, and maybe Bennett Prize Elaine Melotti Schmidt through the Foundationsyou just break even. The Prize is phenomenal winner Aneka Ingold Center for Philanthropy. Ingolds work is includedbecause it is a validation of women artists on how the award in a group exhibition that will soon travel theand also provides tangible monetary support. has affected her life country. The Prize provides a$50,000stipend forNow I can afford substrates, framing and more her to make new work for a solo exhibition thatexpensive paints. Its a safety net to get the debuts in 2021. Ingold spoke to the Foundationthings that will make my work more archival aboutthe impact ofthisrecognition: and valuable and of higher quality. Im also really happy to see that my work is valued Ive been doing this for a long time and Imfinallymore already. That needs to happen for women being validated. Its hard to get the work outartists,generally. there. Now I feel connected to something bigger,Women artists need to reach out and meaning the art world in general, but also toconnect and share our stories so we wont feel women artists. I now have a stronger drive toso alone. I want to encourage women to find make the work, and I feel an obligation [to otherthose things that make them feel they have a women artists]. We cant stop now.voice, whether its writing or singing or making Honestly, Ive been losing money for a longart or being involved in local politics. Find that time by making art and spending so much onvoice and use it and dont let it go.19'