The Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College (CCS Bard) has named Valerie Cassel Oliver, the curator of an acclaimed survey about sound and Southern culture, as the 2022 recipient of its Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence. The prize, which goes to one curator annually, comes with a $25,000 purse. “Valerie Cassel Oliver should be considered one of America’s great ‘thought leaders,’ a curator who constantly surprises, enlightens, and broadens the scope of art,” said Tom Eccles, executive director of CCS Bard, in a statement.