The 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), Rick Kinsel (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 was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia.^[3] 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.^[4] Through its prizes and other programs, the Vilcek Foundation publicizes the far-reaching influence of immigrants on the professional, academic, and artistic communities across the United States. The Foundation awards the annual Vilcek Prizes in the biomedical science and the arts and sponsors programs such as the Hawaii International Film Festival.^[5]

Prizes

Headquarters of the Vilcek Foundation in New York City

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 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.

New American Filmmakers

Since 2007, the Vilcek Foundation has been a proud 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.

Prize recipients

Vilcek Prizes

Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise

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.

Art Collections

The Vilcek Foundation holds several art collections that are promised gifts from founders Jan and Marica Vilcek. These collections include the Contemporary Art Collection,^[36] a small but growing collection of works by contemporary immigrant artists; the American Modernism Collection,^[37] 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; and the Native American Pottery Collection,^[38] 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,^[39] which features objects from across the pre-Columbian world, with an emphasis on the art of Mesoamerica.

Cultural events and exhibitions

Past events and exhibitions

The Vilcek Foundation is located in a landmark, Beaux Arts-style renovated carriage house in New York City's Upper East Side, which serves as both its headquarters and gallery space. The Foundation hosts exhibitions and events featuring the work of immigrant artists, designers, filmmakers, and others, many of whom have yet to achieve critical or financial success.^[40]

dARTboard

The dARTboard was an online art space developed to celebrate the achievements of foreign-born artists working in the realm of digital art, running from 2012 to 2014.^[60]

Each year’s featured artist was chosen from a pool of applicants for the annual dARTboard Call for Entries in Digital Art, first opened in July 2011. Every cycle, applicants were invited to submit their digital artworks for consideration. Eligible applicants must be foreign-born and reside permanently in the U.S. The chosen artist, selected by an expert juror, was invited to exhibit his or her work on the dARTboard at the start of the following year. Each featured artist received a $5,000 honorarium. In 2014, three artists were chosen for a three-way tie, and each artist was awarded a $5,000 honorarium.^[61]

Publications

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.^[67][68]

Masterpieces of American Modernism: From the Vilcek Collection

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

1. 1 2 "The Vilcek Foundation, Inc." (PDF). Foundation Center. Retrieved 7 July 2017. 
2. ↑ Herman, Richard (2009). Immigrant, Inc. Wiley, John & Sons. pp. 157–158. ISBN 978-0-470-45571-5. 
3. ↑ Perez-Pena, Richard (12 August 2005). "Research Scientist Gives $105 Million to N.Y.U". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 August 2005. 
4. ↑ Preston, Caroline (12 February 2006). "Couple's Philanthropy Honors the Achievements of Immigrants". Chronicle of Philanthropy. pp. 20–23. Retrieved 12 February 2006. 
5. ↑ "About the Foundation". The Vilcek Foundation. 
6. ↑ Sagmeister, Inc. "Vilcek Prize Trophy". AIGA Design Archives. 
7. ↑ IU School of Medicine (July 2012). "Vilcek Foundation scholarships for foreign-born medical scientists". Scope. Indianapolis, IN. 16 (28). 
8. ↑ "Con Edison Immigrant Artist Project Newsletter". New York Foundation for the Arts. Retrieved 7 August 2012. 
9. ↑ "2017 Vilcek Prizewinners". 
10. ↑ "2017 Vilcek Prizewinners". 
11. ↑ "2017 Vilcek Prizewinners". 
12. ↑ Farley, Pete. "2016 Vilcek Prizewinners". 
13. ↑ Farley, Pete. "2016 Vilcek Prizewinners". 
14. ↑ Farley, Pete. "Peter Walter Wins the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Sciences". UCSF. Retrieved 10 February 2015. 
15. ↑ Chilton, Nancy. "Andrew Bolton Wins 2015 Vilcek Prize in Fashion". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 February 2015. 
16. ↑ "Vilcek Foundation Honors Professor Thomas Jessell for Biomedical Research". Columbia News. Retrieved 4 February 2014. 
17. ↑ Hoffman, Ellen. "Media Lab’s Neri Oxman awarded Vilcek Prize". MITnews. Retrieved 4 February 2014. 
18. 1 2 Gu, Jiahe (11 May 2013). "Yale Researchers Receive the Vilcek Prize". Yale Scientific Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2013. 
19. 1 2 3 4 Wakin, Daniel. "A $100,000 Prize for Yo-Yo Ma". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 February 2013. 
20. 1 2 3 Grayce West, Melanie (13 February 2012). "Foundation Honors Baryshnikov". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 13 February 2012. 
21. ↑ Bonner, Joseph. "Titia de Lange receives 2011 Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science". The Rockefeller University Newswire. 
22. ↑ Feltner, Kerry (15 April 2011). "Professor Charles Simic Awarded the Vilcek Prize". The New Hampshire. Retrieved 15 April 2011. 
23. ↑ Thomas-Lester, Avis (10 March 2010). "Inspired by Immigrant Success Stories". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 March 2010. 
24. ↑ Black, Jane (9 March 2010). "Jose Andres Wins Culinary Arts Prize". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 March 2010. 
25. ↑ "Vilcek Prize Awarded to Zoghbi" (PDF). Howard Hughes Medical Institute Bulletin. 22 (2): 54. May 2009. 
26. 1 2 3 Langholtz, Gabrielle (5 March 2010). "Grist for the Mill: Letter from the Editor". Edible Manhattan. Retrieved 5 March 2010. 
27. ↑ Garland, Sarah (5 February 2008). "Vilcek Foundation Honors Innovation by Immigrants". The New York Sun. Retrieved 5 February 2008. 
28. ↑ Sokol, Daniel (13 March 2007). "Denise Scott Brown Awarded the Vilcek Prize for Arts and Humanities". Architectural Record Daily News. Retrieved 23 February 2012. 
29. ↑ Vilcek, Jan; Cronstein, Bruce N. (1 July 2006). "A prize for the foreign-born". The FASEB Journal. 20 (9): 1281–1283. PMID 16816100. doi:10.1096/fj.06-0702ufm. Retrieved 23 February 2012. 
30. ↑ "Professor Alice Ting wins Vilcek Foundation Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science". MITnews. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 13 February 2012. 
31. ↑ "Society Research Grantee Wins Prestigious Award". Area Highlights. American Cancer Society. Retrieved 22 June 2011. 
32. 1 2 "Charles Simic and Dinaw Mengestu Win Prize for Foreign-Born Writers". G&A: The Contest Blog. Poets & Writers Magazine. Retrieved 24 March 2011. 
33. ↑ "Geneticist Harmit Malik on Paleovirology". The Leonard Leopate Show. New York. June 29, 2010. WNYC. Retrieved 23 February 2012. 
34. ↑ Fabricant, Florence (4 March 2010). "Michelin Stars and Other Honors". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 February 2012. 
35. ↑ "Prize for Creative Promise to "Journey From the Fall" director". Accolade. UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Retrieved 23 February 2012. 
36. ↑ "Vilcek Foundation Contemporary Art Collection". The Vilcek Foundation. Retrieved 10 February 2015. 
37. ↑ "The Vilcek Foundation Modernism Art Collection". The Vilcek Foundation. 
38. ↑ "Vilcek Foundation Native American Pottery Collection". The Vilcek Foundation. Retrieved 10 February 2015. 
39. ↑ "Vilcek Foundation Pre-Columbian Collection". The Vilcek Foundation. Retrieved 10 February 2015. 
40. ↑ Kaufman, Jason Edward (April 2006). "Drugs money for artists: Vilcek Foundation branches out.". Art News Paper. p. 6. 
41. ↑ "Brian Doan, hôme hôme hôme". Time Out New York. Retrieved 12 February 2014. 
42. ↑ Sulcas, Roslyn. "The Vilcek Foundation Project". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 January 2013. 
43. ↑ Kulhanek, Jamie. "I Am Your Mirror: O Zhang". Art Asia Pacific. Retrieved 28 January 2013. 
44. ↑ Hankin, Laura (October 4, 2011). "Gallery Review: Nicole Awai: Almost Undone". The Artists Forum. Retrieved October 4, 2011. 
45. ↑ Gurewitsch, Matthew (May 13, 2011). "For a Violinist, Success Means a New Low Point". New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2011. 
46. ↑ Survivorsoftorture.org (January 26, 2011). "Caring and Advocating for Torture Survivors: A Lecture by Dr. Allen Keller". Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture. Retrieved February 14, 2012. 
47. ↑ White, Amos. "Gallery Preview: ‘Senbazuru’: Toshiko Nishikawa". The Artist Forum.  |access-date= requires |url= (help)
48. ↑ Chan, Jason (September 9, 2010). "Fashion 2012 – Beautiful Transparency At The Vilcek Gallery". Fashion Indie – Fashion & Style 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2010. 
49. ↑ Schneider, Michael (May 25, 2010). "New Yorkers, here’s one last chance to say goodbye to ‘LOST’". Variety.com. Retrieved May 25, 2010. 
50. ↑ "New York State of Mind". Lost, The Official Magazine: Special Edition. 
51. ↑ The Vilcek Foundation Celebrates LOST Exhibition Book (PDF). The Vilcek Foundation. 2010. 
52. ↑ Luong, Kai-Duc. "Circumplex". Video Art. Retrieved February 13, 2012. 
53. ↑ The Vilcek Foundation. "Peter Breiner: enTANGOed". The Vilcek Foundation – Past Exhibitions. Retrieved June 4, 2009. 
54. ↑ The Vilcek Foundation. "Lecture: Eleanor Heartney: Japanese Art Today: Takashi Murakami and "Superflat" in Context". The Vilcek Foundation – Past Exhibitions. Retrieved February 13, 2012. 
55. ↑ The Vilcek Foundation. "Lecture: Reiko Tomii: Why 1960’s Japanese Art? Global Implications for Contemporary Art History". The Vilcek Foundation – Past Exhibitions. Retrieved February 13, 2012. 
56. ↑ The Vilcek Foundation. "Lecture: Alexandra Munroe: Asian American Artist and the Transmission of the East to the American Avant-Garde". The Vilcek Foundation – Past Exhibitions. Retrieved February 13, 2012. 
57. ↑ Stifter, Catherine. "American Immigrant Filmmakers on Profile in NYC and Online". Retrieved October 22, 2008. 
58. ↑ Eventful. "The Vilcek Foundation hosts the NY premiere screening of the Gatekeeper of Enmyoin". Eventful. Retrieved April 24, 2012. 
59. ↑ Art Projects International. "Art Projects International News". Art Projects International. Retrieved April 24, 2012. 
60. ↑ "The Vilcek Foundation’s dART Call for Entries". California Arts Council. 
61. ↑ "The Vilcek Foundation’s dART Call for Entries". Rockstar Contests. 
62. ↑ "dARTboard Debuts on Vilcek.org". Rhizome.org. 
63. ↑ "2013 dARTboard Exhibition on Vilcek.org". Rhizome.org. 
64. ↑ "UCLA Design Media Arts". Nicholas Hanna Winner of dARTboard Exhibition Funded by the Vilcek Foundation. Retrieved 13 February 2014. 
65. ↑ "DXARTS". Graduate Student Ha Na Lee Among Vilcek Foundation Prize Winners. Retrieved 2014-02-13. 
66. ↑ "Alumnus Wins Award Honoring Foreign-Born Scientists and Artists". OSU College of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 13 February 2014. 
67. ↑ "American Odysseys". Dalkey Archive Press. 
68. ↑ "American Odysseys: Writings by New Americans". Publishers Weekly. Feb 18, 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.