Vilcek Foundation

Vilcek Foundation

Founded	2000
Founder	Jan and Marica Vilcek
Focus	Arts, biomedical science, immigration
Location	New York City, New York
Key people	Jan Vilcek (Co-founder), Marica Vilcek(Co-founder), (President)
Revenue (2014)	$19,837,752[1]
Expenses (2014)	$4,822,527[1]
Website	www.vilcek.org

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions to the United States, and fosters appreciation of the arts and sciences.^[2] The foundation's flagship programs include the Vilcek Foundation Prizes, which recognize and support immigrant contributions to American arts, biomedical science, and society. The foundation is also the designated steward of the art collection assembled by founders Jan and Marica Vilcek, comprising holdings in American modernism, Native American pottery, pre Columbian objects, and contemporary art.^[3]

The Foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia.^[4] The mission of the Foundation was inspired by the couple's respective careers in biomedical science and art history, as well as their personal experiences and appreciation for the opportunities offered them as newcomers to the United States.^[5]

Prizes[]

Vilcek Prizes[]

The Vilcek Prizes are awarded to foreign-born individuals residing permanently in the United States, with a legacy of outstanding achievement in the arts and sciences. The Foundation awards two Vilcek Prizes annually, one in biomedical science and the other in the arts and humanities; the latter in a field designated annually by the Foundation, such as fine arts, architecture, music, filmmaking, culinary art, literature, dance, contemporary music, design, and fashion. Each prize consists of a $100,000 cash award and a commemorative sculpture designed by Austrian-born Stefan Sagmeister.^[6]

Vilcek Prize for Excellence[]

The Vilcek Prize for Excellence, introduced in 2019, recognizes immigrants whose contributions profoundly impact American society and world culture, or individuals who are champions for immigrant causes. The recipients receive a $100,000 cash award and a commemorative diploma designed by Jessica Walsh.

Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise[]

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise are awarded to foreign-born individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievement during the early stages of their careers. Like the Vilcek Prize, the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise are awarded each year in the field of biomedical science and a selected art field. Creative Promise applicants are required to submit essays, personal statements, and examples of their work. To be eligible for the prize, applicants must have been born abroad, reside permanently in the United States, and be within the specified age limit. As of 2013, three prizes each will be awarded in biomedical science^[7] and a designated art field.^[8] Each recipient is awarded a $50,000 cash prize and a commemorative plaque.

Vilcek-Gold Award for Humanism in Healthcare[]

In 2019, the Vilcek Foundation partnered with the Arnold P. Gold Foundation to create a joint award, the Vilcek-Gold Award for Humanism in Healthcare. The award is bestowed to a foreign-born individual in the United States who has demonstrated an extraordinary impact on humanism in healthcare through their professional achievements.

The 2019 Vilcek-Gold Award for Humanism in Healthcare was given to Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha for her advocacy and interventions in addressing the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.^{[9][non-primary source needed]} Dr. Vivek Murthy, 19th Surgeon General of the United States, is the recipient of the 2020 Vilcek-Gold Award for Humanism in Healthcare.^[10]

New American Filmmakers[]

Since 2007, the Vilcek Foundation has been a sponsor of the New American Filmmakers program. Curated and presented in collaboration with the Hawaii International Film Festival, the program seeks out the most talented foreign-born filmmakers currently contributing to American cinema. The result is a diverse program that draws upon cinematic genres and traditions from around the world.

In 2019, the program was relaunched as the New American Perspectives program, to encompass sharing mixed media at the festival, including virtual reality programming.^[11]

Prize recipients[]

Vilcek Prizes[]

Name	Year	Category	Country of Birth
Ruth Lehmann[12]	2021	Biomedical Science	Germany
Rodrigo Prieto[13][14]	2021	Filmmaking	Mexico
Xiaowei Zhuang[15]	2020	Biomedical Science	China
Edwidge Danticat[16]	2020	Literature	Haiti
Angelika Amon[17]	2019	Biomedical Science	Austria
Marcus Samuelsson[18]	2019	Culinary Arts	Ethiopia
Alexander Rudensky[19]	2018	Biomedical Science	Russia
Teddy Cruz[20]	2018	Architecture	Guatemala
Lily Jan[21] Yuh Nung Jan[21]	2017	Biomedical Science	China
Nari Ward[22]	2017	Fine Arts	Jamaica
Dan Littman[23]	2016	Biomedical Science	Romania
Blanka Zizka[23]	2016	Theatre	Czech Republic
Peter Walter[24]	2015	Biomedical Science	Germany
Andrew Bolton[25]	2015	Fashion	United Kingdom
Thomas Jessell[26]	2014	Biomedical Science	United Kingdom
Neri Oxman[27]	2014	Design	Israel
Richard Flavell[28] Ruslan Medzhitov[28]	2013	Biomedical Science	United Kingdom Uzbekistan
Yo-Yo Ma[29]	2013	Contemporary Music	France (to Chinese parents)
Carlos Bustamante[30]	2012	Biomedical Science	Peru
Mikhail Baryshnikov[30]	2012	Dance	Latvia (to Russian parents)
Titia de Lange[31]	2011	Biomedical Science	Netherlands
Charles Simic[32]	2011	Literature	Yugoslavia
Alexander Varshavsky[33]	2010	Biomedical Science	Russia
José Andrés[34]	2010	Culinary Arts	Spain
Huda Zoghbi[35]	2009	Biomedical Science	Lebanon
Mike Nichols[36]	2009	Filmmaking	Germany
Inder Verma[37]	2008	Biomedical Science	India
Osvaldo Golijov[36]	2008	Music	Argentina
Rudolf Jaenisch	2007	Biomedical Science	Germany
Denise Scott Brown[38]	2007	Architecture	Zambia
Joan Massagué[39]	2006	Biomedical Science	Spain
Christo and Jeanne-Claude[36]	2006	Fine Art	Bulgaria, Morocco (to French parents)

Vilcek Prizes for Excellence[]

Name	Year	Category	Country of Birth
Katalin Karikó[40]	2022	Biotechnology	Hungary
Andrew Yang	2021	Public Service	United States
Robert A. Katzmann	2020	Administration of Justice	United States
Carmen C. Bambach[41]	2019	Art History and Museum Work	Chile

Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise[]

Name	Year	Category	Country of Birth
Juan Pablo González[42]	2021	Filmmaking	Mexico
Miko Revereza[43]	2021	Filmmaking	Philippines
Nanfu Wang[13]	2021	Filmmaking	China
Mohamed Abou Donia[44]	2021	Biomedical Science[14]	Egypt
Ibrahim Cissé[45]	2021	Biomedical Science	Niger
Silvi Rouskin[46]	2021	Biomedical Science	Bulgaria
Kivanç Birsoy[47]	2020	Biomedical Science	Turkey
Viviana Gradinaru[48]	2020	Biomedical Science	Romania
Martin Jonikas[49]	2020	Biomedical Science	France
Yaa Gyasi[50]	2020	Literature	Ghana
Valeria Luiselli[51]	2020	Literature	Mexico
Jenny Xie[52]	2020	Literature	China
Amit Choudhary	2019	Biomedical Science	India
Jeanne T. Paz	2019	Biomedical Science	Georgia
Mikhail G. Shapiro	2019	Biomedical Science	Russia
Tejal Rao	2019	Culinary Arts	United Kingdom
Fabian von Hauske Valtierra	2019	Culinary Arts	Mexico
Nite Yun	2019	Culinary Arts	Cambodia
Polina Anikeeva	2018	Biomedical Science	Russia
Sergiu P. Pașca	2018	Biomedical Science	Romania
Feng Zhang	2018	Biomedical Science	China
Mona Ghandi	2018	Architecture	Iran
James Leng	2018	Architecture	China
Jing Liu	2018	Architecture	China
Michaela Gack	2017	Biomedical Science	Germany
Michael Halassa	2017	Biomedical Science	Jordan
Ahmet Yildiz	2017	Biomedical Science	Turkey
Iman Issa	2017	Fine Arts	Egypt
Meleko Mokgosi	2017	Fine Arts	Botswana
Carlos Motta	2017	Fine Arts	Colombia
Fernando Camargo	2016	Biomedical Science	Peru
Roberta Capp	2016	Biomedical Science	Brazil
Houra Merrikh	2016	Biomedical Science	Iran
Sarah Benson	2016	Theatre	United Kingdom
Desdemona Chiang	2016	Theatre	Taiwan
Yi Zhao	2016	Theatre	China
Sun Hur	2015	Biomedical Science	South Korea
Rob Knight	2015	Biomedical Science	New Zealand
Franziska Michor	2015	Biomedical Science	Austria
Siki Im	2015	Fashion	Germany, to Korean parents
Natallia Pilipenka	2015	Fashion	Belarus, to Ukrainian parents
Tuyen Tran	2015	Fashion	Vietnam
Antonio Giraldez	2014	Biomedical Science	Spain
Stavros Lomvardas	2014	Biomedical Science	Greece
Pardis Sabeti	2014	Biomedical Science	Iran
Yasaman Hashemian	2014	Design	Iran
Mansour Ourasanah	2014	Design	Togo
Quilian Riano	2014	Design	Colombia
Hashim Al-Hashimi	2013	Biomedical Science	Lebanon
Michael Rape	2013	Biomedical Science	Germany
Joanna Wysocka	2013	Biomedical Science	Poland
James Abrahart[29]	2013	Contemporary Music	United Kingdom
Samuel Bazawule[29]	2013	Contemporary Music	Ghana
Tigran Hamasyan[29]	2013	Contemporary Music	Armenia
Alice Ting[53]	2012	Biomedical Science	Taiwan
Michel Kouakou[30]	2012	Dance	Ivory Coast
Yibin Kang[54]	2011	Biomedical Science	China
Dinaw Mengestu[55]	2011	Literature	Ethiopia
Harmit Malik[56]	2010	Biomedical Science	India
Varin Keokitvon[57]	2010	Culinary Arts	Laos
Howard Chang	2009	Biomedical Science	Taiwan
Ham Tran[58]	2009	Filmmaking	Vietnam

In 2013, the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise were changed from recognizing one winner and four finalists to recognizing three winners in each category. The past finalists are listed below.

Name	Year	Category	Country of Birth
Konrad Hochedlinger	2012	Biomedical Science	Austria
Andreas Hochwagen	2012	Biomedical Science	Austria
Songhai Shi	2012	Biomedical Science	China
Benjamin tenOever	2012	Biomedical Science	Canada
Fanny Ara	2012	Dance	Spain
Thang Dao	2012	Dance	Vietnam
Alice Gosti	2012	Dance	Italy
Pontus Lidberg	2012	Dance	Sweden
Katherine Fitzgerald	2011	Biomedical Science	Ireland
Ekaterina Heldwein	2011	Biomedical Science	Russia
Galit Lahav	2011	Biomedical Science	Israel
Elina Zuniga	2011	Biomedical Science	Argentina
Ilya Kaminsky	2011	Literature	Ukraine
Tea Obreht	2011	Literature	Serbia
Vu Tran	2011	Literature	Vietnam
Simon Van Booy	2011	Literature	Wales
Iannis Aifantis	2010	Biomedical Science	Greece
Rustem Ismagilov	2010	Biomedical Science	Russia
Vamsi Mootha	2010	Biomedical Science	India
Jin Zhang	2010	Biomedical Science	China
Michael Cheng	2010	Culinary Arts	Malaysia
Yoshinori Ishii	2010	Culinary Arts	Japan
Nandini Mukherjee	2010	Culinary Arts	India
Boris Portnoy	2010	Culinary Arts	Russia
Katerina Akassoglou	2009	Biomedical Science	Greece
Evgeny Nudler	2009	Biomedical Science	Russia
F. Nina Papavasiliou	2009	Biomedical Science	Greece
Aviv Regev	2009	Biomedical Science	Israel
Almudena Carracedo	2009	Film	Spain
Amin Matalqa	2009	Film	Jordan
Kirill Mikhanovsky	2009	Film	Russia
Shih-Ching Tsou	2009	Film	Taiwan

Vilcek-Gold Award for Humanism in Healthcare[]

Name	Year	Citation	Country of Birth
Jirayut 'New' Latthivongskorn[59]	2021	For providing a supportive path for undocumented immigrants to pursue careers in healthcare, and for advocacy in support of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. (Awarded jointly with Denisse Rojas Marquez).[60]	Thailand
Denisse Rojas Marquez[61]	2021	For providing a supportive path for undocumented immigrants to pursue careers in healthcare, and for advocacy in support of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. (Awarded jointly with Jirayut 'New' Latthivongskorn).[62]	Mexico
Vivek Murthy[10]	2020	For leadership in addressing the opioid crisis and supporting public health education in the U.S.	UK, to Indian parents
Mona Hanna-Attisha[63]	2019	For exposing lead poisoning in Flint, Michigan, through public water supply[64]	UK, to Iraqi parents

Art collections[]

The Vilcek Foundation holds several art collections that are promised gifts from founders Jan and Marica Vilcek. These collections include the American Modernism Collection,^[65] which traces the development of artists such as Oscar Bluemner, Ralston Crawford, Stuart Davis, and Marsden Hartley, as well as the movement as a whole; the Native American Pottery Collection,^[66] which consists primarily of objects by Acoma, Hopi, Cochiti, Kewa, Tesuque, Zia, and Zuni potters, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries; and the Pre-Columbian Collection,^[67] which features objects from across the pre-Columbian world, with an emphasis on the art of Mesoamerica, and the Contemporary Art Collection,^[68] a small but growing collection of works by contemporary immigrant artists.

Events and exhibitions[]

In 2019, the Vilcek Foundation opened their new headquarters on Manhattan's Upper East Side, which includes two floors of gallery space.^[69] The gallery will be the site of free, public exhibitions based on the Vilcek Foundation Art Collections; the inaugural exhibition, "Ralston Crawford: Torn Signs," opened on May 13 and ran through November 13, 2019.^[70]

“Ralston Crawford: Torn Signs” explores the national and international influences on the multifaceted Canadian-born artist. Although he earned acclaim early in his career for his Precisionist paintings of an industrialized America, Crawford devoted the latter part of his career to abstract painting with a remarkable emotional dimension. “Torn Signs” focuses on two series—“Torn Signs” and “Semana Santa”—that the artist developed over the last two decades of his life. Though their subject matter is drastically different—one is inspired by tattered advertisements on New York’s streets, while the other depicts observers of Holy Week in Seville, Spain—Crawford connects them through his extraordinary visual memory, working method, and inventiveness.^[71]

The inaugural exhibition in the Vilcek Foundation’s headquarters, “Ralston Crawford: Torn Signs,” was curated by Emily Schuchardt Navratil.^[72]  A catalogue of the exhibition was published in 2019 by Merrell Publishers,^[73] and features contributions from William Agee, John Crawford, Rick Kinsel, and exhibition curator Emily Schuchardt Navratil. The exhibition was reviewed by Louis Block for the September issue of The Brooklyn Rail.^[74] Block’s review contextualizes the impact and influence of the earlier works, “Torn Signs” on the Semana Santa series, with particular focus on compositional development and geometric abstraction.

In September, 2019, the Vilcek Foundation announced an upcoming exhibition, Marsden Hartley: Adventurer in the Arts.^[75] The exhibition will bring together over 35 paintings and drawings from the American Modernist painter, poet, and essayist, Marsden Hartley, spanning 36 years of his career.  Exhibited alongside a selection of Hartley’s personal effects –mementos from his travels, snapshots, and keepsakes – the exhibition will provide an intimacy and depth to the artist and his works, providing a deeper understanding of how his wanderlust and life influenced his art.  

To organize this unique exhibition, the Vilcek Foundation partnered with the Bates College Museum of Art, home to The Marsden Hartley Memorial Collection.^[76]

---

Past events and exhibitions[]

The Vilcek Foundation's former headquarters, also on the Upper East Side, was the host of exhibitions and events featuring the work of immigrant artists, designers, filmmakers, and others.^[77]

Exhibition/Event	Type of Event	Year	Participant(s)	Participant's Country of Birth
Brian Doan: hôme hôme hôme[78]	Mixed-media Installation	2013	Brian Doan	Vietnam
Pivotal Works: The Vilcek Foundation Project[79]	Series of Dance performances	2012	Michel Kouakou Fanny Ara Thang Dao Alice Gosti Pontus Lidberg	Ivory Coast France Vietnam Italy Sweden
I Am Your Mirror[80]	Photography, Mixed-media Installation	2012	O Zhang	China
Almost Undone[81]	Mixed-media Installation	2011	Nicole Awai	Trinidad
String Theater[82]	Concert	2011	Mari Kimura	Japan
The New Vernacular: Immigrant Authors in American Literature[55]	Literature Reading	2011	Dinaw Mengestu Ilya Kaminsky Téa Obreht Vu Tran Simon Van Booy Liesl Schillinger (host)	Ethiopia Russia Yugoslavia Vietnam United Kingdom -
Caring and Advocating for Torture Survivors[83]	Lecture	2011	Allen Keller (Lecturer) Samten Dapka Cheikhna Mahawa	Tibet Mauritania
Senbazuru[84]	Mixed-media Installation	2010	Toshiko Nishikawa	Japan
Transparency[85]	Fashion Presentation	2010	Madina Vadache	Russia
The Vilcek Foundation Celebrates LOST[86]	Photography Installation, Exhibition of Original Props[87]	2010	24 Immigrant and First Generation Cast and Crew of ABC's LOST[88]	Brazil, Chile, China, Cuba, England, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, South Africa, Philippines, South Korea, Tonga
Circumplex[89]	Video Art Installation	2009	Kai-Duc Luong	Cambodia
enTANGOed[90]	Concert	2009	Peter Breiner	Slovakia
Mephistophelean	Exhibition of Sculpture	2009	Ryo Toyanaga	Japan
Japanese Art Today: Takashi Murakami and "Superflat" in Context[91]	Lecture	2009	Eleanor Heartney
Why 1960's Japanese Art? Global Implications for Contemporary Art History[92]	Lecture	2009	Reiko Tomii	Japan
Asian American Artist and the Transmission of the East to the American Avant-Garde[93]	Lecture	2009	Alexandra Munroe
American Immigrant Filmmakers on Profile[94]	Film Screening	2008	Sarab Neelam Sielu Avea Stephane Gauger Kai-Duc Luong Christine Choy Sherwood Hu	India Samoa Vietnam Cambodia China China
The Gatekeeper of Emmyoin[95]	Film Screening	2008	Reiko Tahara Max Uesugi	Japan Japan
Il Lee and Pouran Jinchi: Curated by Art Projects International[96]	Exhibition of paintings and drawings	2008	Il Lee Pouran Jinchi	South Korea Iran

Publications[]

A Place at the Table: New American Recipes from the Nation's Top Foreign-Born Chefs[]

A Place at the Table: New American Recipes from the Nation’s Top Foreign-Born Chefs introduces the immigrants who are transforming America’s culinary landscape — chefs who infuse their menus with the flavors of their heritage. It features recipes from 40 of the top foreign-born chefs working in the United States, including Dominique Crenn (France), Michael Solomonov (Israel), Marcus Samuelsson (Ethiopia/Sweden), Corey Lee (South Korea), and Daniela Soto-Innes (Mexico). Stories about the chefs tackling economic injustice and redefining restaurant culture are also told. Food writers included Padma Lakshmi contributed to the cookbook. A Place at the Table was released by Prestel Publishing on September 24, 2019.^[97] The cookbook was reviewed in several major media outlets, including Vogue Magazine, BuzzFeed, and New York Magazine. A Place at the Table: New American Recipes from the Nation's Top Foreign-Born Chefs is the recipient of a 2020 Gourmand Award in the category of United States Cuisine.^[98]

Ralston Crawford: Torn Signs[]

Ralston Crawford: Torn Signs explores the national and international influences on the multifaceted Canadian-born artist. Although he earned acclaim early in his career for his Precisionist paintings of an industrialized America, Crawford devoted the latter part of his career to abstract painting with a remarkable emotional dimension. Torn Signs focuses on two series—“Torn Signs” and “Semana Santa”—that the artist developed over the last two decades of his life. The catalogue includes essays from Rick Kinsel on the influence of Crawford’s travels to Europe, especially to Andalusia; William C. Agee on the artist’s life and reaction to historical events of the 20th century; John Crawford on the relationship between the two series and the role of photography in their development; and Emily Schuchardt Navratil on the genesis and context of individual works in each series. "Ralston Crawford: Torn Signs" was released by Merrell Publishers in April 2019.^[99]

American Odysseys: Writings by New Americans[]

American Odysseys is an anthology of twenty-two novelists, poets, and short story writers. Among the featured writers are Ethiopian-born Dinaw Mengestu, the recipient of the 2011 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature; Yugoslavian-born Téa Obreht, the youngest author to receive the Orange Prize in Fiction; and Chinese-born Yiyun Li, a MacArthur Genius grantee. The foreword is by U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Simic, the winner of the 2011 Vilcek Prize for Literature. A private, hard copy edition was first published in January 2012, and a trade paperback edition was released by Dalkey Archive Press on May 2, 2013.^[100][101]

Masterpieces of American Modernism: From the Vilcek Collection[]

Masterpieces of American Modernism: From the Vilcek Collection, features ninety-eight paintings, works on paper and sculptures by twenty artists - including Stuart Davis, Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, Georgia O'Keeffe and Max Weber. William C. Agee contributed the book's introduction and Lewis Kachur wrote individual entries on each work. In addition to tracing the evolution of individual artists and the movement as a whole, the book explores developments within American Modernism, such as Synchromism and Color Abstraction, American Cubism, and the influence of the landscape and culture of the Southwest (an issue that is explored in depth in the book's Illustrated Timeline). The Collection also highlights the contributions of immigrant artists – eight of the twenty artists were born outside the United States. The book is prefaced by a collector's statement from Ján Vilček and Marica Vilcek and has contributions by The Vilcek Foundation's President, Rick Kinsel, and Associate Curator, Emily Schuchardt Navratil.

References[]