Every other year, since 2002, on what would have been the birthday of her late husband, John Lennon; artist and peace activist Yoko Ono has awarded the LennonOno Grant for Peace, to organizations and people – chosen by Ono, herself – in Lennon’s honor.

That first award ceremony, in 2002, was held at the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland; and was attended by roughly 300 artists and diplomats, including then-Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, who said of Ono regarding the grant, “Individuals can make a difference; individuals can play a role, and she’s out there making a difference, and I think it’s great.”

Previous recipients of the $50,000 grant (awarded biennially to people and organizations chosen by Ono for their unfettered creativity and inspiration, during times of war; as well as key figures in the fight for world harmony) include Médecins Sans Frontières (aka Doctors Without Borders); the William Kunstler-founded Center for Constitutional Rights; authors Alice Walker, John Perkins, and Michael Pollan; investigative journalists Seymour Hirsch and Christopher Hitchens; environmental activists Vandana Shiva and Josh Fox; visual artist Zvi Goldstein; musicians Lady Gaga and Pussy Riot, and the country of Iceland.

This year’s recipients include Rolling Stone and US Weekly publisher Jann Wenner (one would assume for the creation of the former and not the acquisition of the latter); Peace One Day founder, Jeremy Gilley; former Mayor of Reykjavik, Jon Gnarr; and the co-founders of Art Production Fund, Doreen Remen and Yvonne Force Villareal.

Art Production Fund, founded in 2000, is a non-profit that aids artists in the creation of large-scale works that might prove difficult to produce.  Whether curating, presenting, or educating the public, APF’s mission is to bring key works of art to diverse communities, and thereby expanding the comprehension of contemporary art and encouraging the participation of the public.

In Las Vegas, APF is best known for curating the art at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, where they not only brought-in famed graffiti artists Kenny Scharf, Retna, Shinique Smith, and Shepard Fairey (to produce the murals found in the parking garage), and acquired loans of video art from Yoko Ono and TJ Wilcox (found throughout the resort), and facilitated the installation of LED art by Leo Villareal (at BOND); but APF also curates the P3 Studio, stocking the joint with temporary interactive installations by exciting artists such as Todd diCiurcio, Alexis Dahan, and Sush Machida.

Furthermore, Art Production Fund is working, in conjunction with the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, and Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, on Seven Magic Mountains – the first large-scale land art instillation by Swiss artist, Ugo Rondinone.  The installation (consisting of a septet of fifty-foot conical pyramids, comprised of Day-Glo painted stones) will be mounted adjacent to the I-15 corridor between Las Vegas and Jean, NV; and is expected to be unveiled in April 2015.

Art Production Fund
Recipient – 2014 LennonOno Grant for Peace
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