Marie Watt and Jennifer Packer are among six recipients of the 30th Heinz Awards, each receiving an unrestricted $250,000 cash prize for their contributions to the arts. The awards, totaling $1.5 million, recognize American individuals whose work addresses systemic change and sustainability. The award ceremony will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in October.
The Heinz Awards were established in 1993 to honor the late U.S. senator John Heinz. Since its founding, the program has awarded 186 individuals, totaling more than $32 million worth of prize money. Each year, the award is granted to six people, two in each of the three categories: art, economy, and environment.
Packer, a New York–based painter, is honored for her figurative work that reimagines contemporary American representation in art. She is known for her intimate portraits rendered in gestural brushstrokes, where sitters—often Black figures based on her friends and family—emerge from and recede into lustrous backgrounds. Packer has presented solo exhibitions at the Serpentine Galleries in London, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Watt works across textiles, printmaking, and sculpture in works involving text embellishment and collaboration. A member of the Seneca Nation, she incorporates Indigenous feminist teachings and often invites community participation through sewing circles and material contributions. “Working with the community resonates with me as it connects art and life in a tangible way,” Watt said in a press statement. “She is also known for her collaborative monuments, some of which are in major public collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Seattle Art Museum.
“This year, we celebrate 30 years of honoring Americans who excel in the qualities that my husband, John Heinz, held in highest regard: intellectual curiosity, an informed optimism, a passion for excellence, and a willingness to take risks,” Teresa Heinz, chairman of the Heinz Family Foundation, said in a statement. “Their work doesn’t just shift systems; it stirs imagination, amplifies truth, and breathes possibility into the future we all deserve. Honoring them and witnessing their impact is a privilege.”
