Pitchfork

Photo by Kathryn Yu

Guess Municipal Art Society of New York members are suckers for hula hoops, huh? The long-running arts organization, a NYC staple for some 115 years now, will bestow a rather prestigious honor upon indie icon/ace hula-hooper/maker of grand creative overtures Sufjan Stevens later this month.

Stevens will receive the 2008 Brendan Gill Prize for his hula-hoop-happy motorway ode "The BQE", which he premiered in Brooklyn this past November. The Prize, created in 1987, is awarded annually to "the creator of a work of art, book, sculpture, film, musical composition, or architectural design...that best captures the spirit and energy of New York City." Sufjan's "BQE", as you may recall, was steeped in all kinds of local transportation lore and charged with plenty of hula-hoopin' energy, so it seems like a perfect fit for the honor.

MASNYC will present Sufjan with his prize-- which includes some serious cash money-- at a ceremony at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on September 27. Thanks to reader Dan Backhaus for the tip.

In other Sufjan news, the man recently composed some music for a short film directed by Natalie Portman, and he has friends in high (latitude) places.