Complex sentence: In 1838 he publicly exhibited his paintings for the first time at the National Academy of Design in New York City, and received an award for his first genre painting "A Courting Scene", which was exhibited at the New York Mechanics' Institute Fair.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1838 he publicly exhibited his paintings for the first time at the National Academy of Design in New York City. He received an award for his first genre painting "A Courting Scene," which was exhibited at the New York Mechanics' Institute Fair.