Rear Adm. M.W. Joe Raymond, Coast Guard Governmental and Public Affairs acting director, and Jacob Collins, Salmagundi Club President, present the George Gray Award for Artistic Excellence to Frank Gaffney for his work titled ‘Fast Rope Insertion: Demonstrated.’ (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Cory J. Mendenhall)
WASHINGTON — The Coast Guard Art Program (COGAP) held its annual reception and art acceptance ceremony on Thursday, at the Salmagundi Club, marking the beginning of an exhibition of the program’s 2021 collection.
Thirty-two works by 26 COGAP artists are being exhibited at the Salmagundi Club through July 9. An additional 13 works from previous years’ collections will be on display, including works by the late COGAP award-winning artist Terrence Maley.
During the reception, Frank Gaffney was named the 2021 George Gray Award for Artistic Excellence winner – COGAP’s highest honor. Gaffney was selected by a jury comprised of Rear Adm. Joe Raymond, Coast Guard Governmental and Public Affairs acting director, Nick Dawes, Salmagundi Club Chairman of the Board and CEO, and Alasdair Nichol, art expert, Chairman and Director of Fine Art for Freeman’s Auction House.
“The Coast Guard art program holds a collection of phenomenal works, and each year, the quality of art is heightened,” said Gaffney. “It is an honor to be a recipient of the 2021 George Gray Award for Artistic Excellence.”
COGAP makes use of fine art to educate diverse audiences about the service’s myriad missions. Art from the program is exhibited at museums, Congress members’ offices, Cabinet secretaries’ offices and at Coast Guard facilities nationwide.
COGAP artists donate their work to the program. The collection comprises over 2,000 works illustrating the missions performed by the service’s force of nearly 42,000 active duty members.
This year marks the program’s 40th anniversary. Since its inception, the Salmagundi Club, located at 47 Fifth Avenue in New York, has been its sponsor. The exhibition is free, open to the public, and can be seen Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibition will be closed on Sunday, July 4, 2021.
