The Marfield History

In 1984, Jeannie Marfield, a devoted member of the Arts Club of Washington bequeathed the initial endowment that established the National Award for Arts Writing which would later be affectionally called the Marfield Prize. In her will, she wrote:

Jeannie Marfield wished to honor early and long-time Arts Club members:

Helen Cambell Wharton and Florence Berryman.

Then in 2006 Mary Lynn Kotz took over the Marfield endowment and built the foundations of the first National Award for Arts Writing. Eighteen years later the Marfield Prize has bestowed $190,000 worth of prizes to eighteen winners. The award has helped some of the past winners write additional books about the arts further fulfilling the goals of Jeannie S. Marfield in her bequest.

Mary Lynn Kotz

The award recognizes the author of an outstanding nonfiction book about the visual, literary, media, or performing arts. This $10,000 prize is designed to recognize excellence in arts writing for a broad audience.

Intended to help increase access to the arts, the award celebrates prose that is clear, eloquent and inspiring, creating a strong connection with the arts and artists. The prize honors accessible nonfiction books first published in the United States by an author who is living at the time of the book’s nomination.

Books are judged by a distinguished, independent panel of writers. Past judges have included Alan Cheuse, Rita Dove, Richard Ford, Jamaica Kincaid, Joyce Carol Oates, Nancy Pearl, Robert Pinsky, Grace Cavalieri and Ira Silverberg.

The winning author is invited to Washington, DC, for a short residency that includes an awards ceremony, a presentation to a DC public high school, an interview, and a public reading at the Arts Club of Washington. Expenses are paid by the club.