Common Ground Ensemble Artist Award 

The Ensemble Artist Award supports artists with exceptional talent and remarkable potential. The winners, nominated by the Ensemble community and selected by a jurist of artists and curators, are invited to a month-long residency at the stunning Common Ground campus on Kauaʻi and receive the broader support of the Ensemble community. 

ANNOUNCING THE 2025 WINNER

Pui Tiffany Chow

We are delighted to announce that the winner of the inaugural 2025 Ensemble Artist Award is Pui Tiffany Chow. Tiffany is an acclaimed visual artist and educator whose work explores the intersection of abstraction and figuration, challenging traditional narratives through a blend of Western and Eastern visual cultures. Her selection as the inaugural Award recipient honors her artistic excellence, her deep commitment to mentorship, and her ability to foster connection through creativity. Congratulations Tiffany!

Award details

The winner of the Common Ground Ensemble Artist Award is awarded a residency at the Common Ground campus on Kauaʻi in the fall. The residency includes accommodation at our artist’s lodge and access to various creative spaces on campus, including a private studio and communal work spaces. Common Ground Ensemble pays for travel expenses of up to $5,000, and the winner also receives an additional $5,000 cash prize. 

Common Ground Ensemble works with the artist to cater the residency to their particular artistic and career needs. We help transport the necessary tools and materials for the artist to work on our campus, and we customize a private workspace to fit their purposes. We also connect the artist to the broader artistic community on Kauaʻi, as well as other natural and community spaces that might serve as artistic inspiration. 

In addition, the winner receives a sponsored ticket to the Common Ground Summit, which takes place annually in November. At the Summit, the winner will meet a network of artists, activists, civic leaders, academics, and business leaders who are committed to building a regenerative future—and have the chance to share their unique perspective with other Summit participants, showcase their work, and connect with a broader community of people working towards a better future for all. 

Selection process 

The winner is chosen through a nomination and jury process. In late fall through the end of the year, the Ensemble community—a network including artists, filmmakers, writers, and community leaders—submits nominations. Following that, a jury of professional artists and curators considers the nominees. The jurists convene to select a short-list and a finalist, and the winner is notified in the spring. 

Nomination criteria 

Nominators are encouraged to advance artists who show exceptional dedication and excellence in pursuit of their craft. Artists may be in any stage of their career, but they should have a portfolio of their work available for consideration, and they should also have at least one work of art available for display during the Common Ground Summit. Artists should be able to bring their work (or a portion of their work) to the Common Ground campus on Kauaʻi with our reasonable support. 

Nominators should also consider whether the artist would be eager to join and contribute to the Ensemble community. We are particularly excited about artists who exemplify the ethos of Ensemble—either by contributing to their own community, representing an underrepresented community, or actively seeking out connections across community divides. 

Our inaugural 2025 award was for visual art: this included, but was not limited to, painting, sculpture, digital art, textiles, photography, filmmaking, and video. 

Nominations are currently closed. Check back in the fall!