Art Basel Honors Paula Cooper Gallery With Inaugural Gallery Legacy Award for 2026
- Jun 23
- 1 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Art Basel has selected Paula Cooper Gallery as the inaugural recipient of its new Gallery Legacy Award, a distinction that recognizes galleries for longstanding support of artists, cultural influence, ethical leadership, and intergenerational stewardship.
Chosen by an international jury of collectors and patrons, Paula Cooper Gallery was honored for its transformative role in the global art scene since its founding in 1968, including its position as the first gallery in SoHo and its sustained backing of innovative artists and cultural initiatives.
The Gallery Legacy Award underscores the contribution of galleries to building artistic careers and shaping cultural discourse, and it reinforces Art Basel’s support for galleries as its core constituency. As part of the award’s mentorship component, Paula Cooper Gallery has nominated Chapter NY, with Art Basel to contribute up to USD 50,000 toward Chapter NY’s participation costs at Art Basel in June 2027 to help foster the next generation of gallerists.
The honor was formally presented at the 2026 Art Basel Awards dinner in Basel, where more than 200 figures from the international art world convened to celebrate the award medalists and recognize achievements across the contemporary art ecosystem.
Further details on the award and its recipients are available on Art Basel’s website.