Lifetime Achievement Award
Stephen Antonakos’ award will be presented by Helen Evans, the Mary and Michael Jaharis Curator for Byzantine Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Stephen Antonakos
Stephen Antonakos is the world’s premier neon artist with an impressive career spanning seven decades. His contemporary style emphasizes abstract, geometric confogurations, often combining painting with light work.
Antonakos was born in 1926 in Agios Nikolaos, Laconia. His family emigrated to the United States in 1930 when Antonakos was four years old, and they entered through Ellis Island. One of Antonakos’ earliest memories is of a small whitewashed chapel in Agios Nikolaos, a memory which continues to influence his artwork. Antonakos’ family settled in New York, where he continues to live.
Antonakos “discovered” neon in 1960 when he was intrigued by the light emanating from midtown Manhattan neon signs. From there, he made neon his primary medium, developing his individual contribution to modern art. Graphite and colored pencil drawings have also been an important aspect of Antonakos’ practice.
A major retrospective exhibition of his entire oeuvre was shown at the Benaki Museum in Athens from 2007 to 2008, allowing admirers to follow his entire creative path. The exhibit was on display at the Allentown Art Museum throughout 2009.
In his long and storied career, Antonakos has had more than 100 one-person shows, more than 250 group shows, and almost 50 Public Works installed in the United States, Europe, and Japan. He is recognized as the world’s pioneer light artist.
