Tamara Aupaumet, a multi-disciplinary artist who lives in Minneapolis, has been awarded the Jim Denomie Memorial Scholarship.
The annual $10,000 award is given to an artist who exemplifies a commitment to excellence, generosity, and engagement with community.
“I'm always just trying to pay that forward,” Aupaumut said. “I think that that's what Jim was about too. I think just in supporting other artists and community, it's what we all do for one another.”
The award is administered by All My Relations Arts, one of the scholarship’s partners. Gallery and Programs Manager Juleana Enright is a member of the selection committee.
“We were really interested in people who have a spirit of experimentation in their work and also know how to use humor, because that was a huge part of Jim's work, his playfulness, his eccentric nature,” Enright said. “We decided that that Tamara reflected those qualities.”
Upon receiving news of the award from the scholarship committee, Enright said Aupaumut shared a brief story about their friendship with the late artist.
“[Aupaumut] told him a story about these trees that were women, and they would steal someone else's lover, someone else's man. Jim thought it was so hilarious that he ended up putting something like that in his work,” Enright said.
Denomie was an internationally acclaimed artist praised for his striking use of color and piercing sense of humor. He died in March of 2022 at age 66 following a brief illness.
A 2023 solo show at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, “The Lyrical Artwork of Jim Denomie,” highlighted a career that skewered mainstream histories and purveyors of injustice, from Fort Snelling to Standing Rock, while championing the joy and resilience of Native communities.
The late artist’s family also works in partnership with gallerist Todd Bockley to administer the award. Bockely has represented Denomie’s work for more than a decade.
“Jim’s unique vision as an artist was matched by his passion for championing young artists. This scholarship embodies both, in the best way possible,” Bockley said.
