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About
The Religion and the Arts Award is presented annually to an artist, performer, critic, curator, or scholar who has made a recent significant contribution to the understanding of the relations among the arts and religions, both for the academy and for a broader public.
Membership in the American Academy of Religion is not required for nominees.
Nominators must be AAR members.
Criteria
Nominees are to have made a recent significant contribution to the understanding of the relations among the arts and religions, both for the academy and for a broader public.
Nomination Instructions
To be eligible for consideration, AAR members must complete a nomination form, and submit required nomination materials as outlined below through the AAR Award Nominations Portal.
- Nomination Letter
- A supporting letter of no more than 1,000 words that describes why the nominee meets the Religion and the Arts Award criteria and outlines the nominee’s contributions to religion and the arts.
- Relevant Supporting Materials
- Materials such as images, videos, books, catalogs, etc.
Late, emailed, or incomplete nomination forms, nomination letters, or relevant supporting materials cannot be accepted.
Selection Process
The members of the Religion and the Arts Award Jury select the winner of the Religion and the Arts Award.
A vote of the jury determines the award winner.
Nominations are active for two award cycles.
Notification and Winner Expectations
The award winner is typically announced by early spring.
The Religion and the Arts Award winner will be featured in a special session of the June Annual Meetings/an AAR WebinAAR.
Questions
For any questions, please contact us at awards@aarweb.org.
Current Recipient

Amalia Mesa-Bains
A visual artist, writer, and educator, Mesa-Bains has reconceived how we think about Chicano and Latino art through works that explore ongoing histories of spirituality, colonialism, and gender. “We are thrilled to honor Amalia Mesa-Bains with this year’s award,” said Anthony Petro, chair of the Religion and the Arts Award Jury. “Throughout her amazing career, and in her continuing artistic and writing practice, Mesa-Bains explores themes and questions of spirituality, politics, and aesthetics that exemplify the American Academy of Religion’s commitment to expanding public knowledge about religion.”