Artist and sculptor Pat Oleszko has been named the recipient of the 2026 Whitney Biennial's $100,000 Bucksbaum Award, a recognition that places her work among some of the most notable names in the prize's history.
Oleszko was honored for two standout pieces in the exhibition: Blow Hard (1995), an inflatable sculpture with a vivid green face and a trumpet-like form, and Footsi (1979), a playful video piece featuring fingers dressed in tiny shoes and socks moving across the artist's body.
Her inclusion is especially notable because much of the Biennial highlights recent production, while Oleszko's works come from earlier decades. The award, launched in 2000, is typically given to artists who create new work for the exhibition, making her selection a distinctive choice within the event's evolving curatorial landscape.
Oleszko's wider recognition has grown quickly in New York after a long stretch with limited solo visibility in the city. A 2024 gallery presentation and a recent SculptureCenter retrospective helped bring renewed attention to her practice ahead of the Biennial.
Whitney curators Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer described her body of work as one of the most distinctive in contemporary American art, noting its sense of freedom and invention. The prize jury reached a unanimous decision, underscoring the strong response her work generated across the exhibition.
As contemporary art continues to value originality across generations, Oleszko's recognition suggests a future where rediscovered voices can shape the cultural conversation with fresh relevance.
