Congratulations to Tacoma-based artist Oscar Tuazon for winning the 2007 Betty Bowen Award.  Tuazon was chosen over 462 applicants from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho for the $11,000 award.

An award ceremony and reception will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 5:30 â€" 8 p.m. in the Nordstrom Lecture Hall at the Seattle Art Museum’s newly expanded downtown location.

Here is what the press release says about Tuazon:

• Oscar Tuazon resides in Tacoma. He graduated from Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1999, and participated in the Whitney Independent Study program in 2001 and 2002. The nature of his practice does not establish boundaries between his life and his artistic output. Rather, his practice is a lifestyle that is rooted in a theoretical investigation of space and architecture in pursuit of creating an alternative approach to living within contemporary society. Basing his aesthetics on a commitment to sustainable economy, self-sufficiency, and mobility, Tuazon often uses recycled materials and found objects to create works that double as functional dwellings or appliances, which facilitate alternative means of survival. The artist has stated: “My recent work inhabits a central concept of VONU living: that architecture is simply a mode of occupation, a way of living. This is an intangible architecture, not a design practice but a lifestyle that shapes the space around it.” Tuazon has exhibited both nationally and internationally, including shows in Paris, Oslo, and Vancouver. He is a founding member of the Center for Urban Pedagogy in New York.