The CAT Awards Its First Prize at the State Fair

September 1, 2025

Linnea Seidling, Assistant Curator of Glass 

The State Fair holds a special place in the hearts of all Minnesotans, and for the CAT, it is no different. In a blog post last year, we shared about the connection that Gerard Cafesjian, whose collection forms the core of the CAT’s holdings, had with the Fine Arts Center. The museum’s collection includes many of the artworks he purchased there over the years. In honor of his love of the State Fair, the CAT is sponsoring an annual award at the Fine Arts Center. The Cafesjian Art Trust Museum Prize will be awarded to one outstanding artwork each year.

A quiet Fine Arts Center on judging day. 

The inaugural recipient of the Cafesjian Art Trust Museum Prize is Russ White for his painting This is Fine. The CAT’s President and CEO Kathie Cafesjian Baradaran, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Jill Ahlberg Yohe, and Assistant Curator of Glass Linnea Seidling worked together to comb through the 337 works on display to select a winner. After the contenders were whittled down to only three, our final selection was solidified when Baradaran said, “This is the painting my dad would have picked.”  

“This painting is relatable to many of us in this day and age,” said Ahlberg Yohe, “and White uses specific colors and tones to match yet complicate the energy of sitter. There is something about the painting that feels deeply honest yet contrived.”  

We hope you enjoyed This is Fine in the Fine Arts Center at the State Fair!