| Spectrum Grand Master Award | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | The best in contemporary fantasy, science fiction, and horror artwork. |
| Presented by | Spectrum Fantastic Art |
| First awarded | 1995 |
| Website | http://spectrumfantasticart.com/  |
The Spectrum Award for Grand Master was awarded annually from 1995 to 2019 by the Spectrum Fantastic Art Advisory Board, which now appears to be defunct.
A Grand Master, as Arnie Fenner (SFA Advisory Board member) has explained, is an artist who has worked for at least twenty years at a consistently high level of quality; who has influenced and inspired other artists; and who has left his or her mark on the field as a whole. "Craft alone" he writes, " is not sufficient to receive the honor: There are many painters who produce solid professional work. But (and this is the key) it fails to resonate. It is admired in the moment and immediately forgotten. A Grand Master's art, on the other hand, gets stuck in the viewer's heart and memory.[1]
Arnie Fenner also states "At the time of the designation is given the artist must be living. Recently, two GM honorees died prior to the announcement --Al Williamson and Ralph McQuarrie-- which confused a few people, but...both were still with us when the Board bestowed the honor."[2]
- ^ Fleskes, John (2014). Spectrum 21: The Best In Contemporary Fantastic Art. Flesk Publications. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-933865-58-4.
- ^ "Grand Master post by Arnie Fenner on Muddy Colors".