Rob Pruitt (b. 1964)

Rob Pruitt created Ladies and Gentlemen... (Art Awards Penguin) as a part of the intricate set for the First Annual Art Awards ceremony in 2009 at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. The Art Awards, which were conceptualized and produced by Pruitt, was created as a venue to celebrate the successes and contributions of artists, curators, critics and gallerists. It was conceived as a performance-based artwork--of which Ladies and Gentlemen (Art Awards Penguin) played a part by setting the scene-that was based on the Oscars or Grammys. The success of the first awards in 2009 was so great that the Art Awards is now an annual event in the art world calendar.