2021 Vilcek Prizes

Meet the 2021 prizewinners

Mission

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in America and fosters appreciation of the arts and sciences.

We honor foreign-born artists, scientists, and advocates of immigrant rights living and working in the United States for their outstanding contributions to society.

Prizes

Vilcek Foundation Prizes

Awarded annually, the Vilcek Foundation Prizes honor immigrants for extraordinary contributions in the arts and sciences.

 

LEARN ABOUT THE PRIZES

2021 Vilcek Foundation Prizewinners

Nine prizes totaling $600,000 are being awarded to immigrant leaders in biomedical science and filmmaking, including Ruth Lehmann and Rodrigo Prieto; Andrew Yang is awarded the Vilcek Prize for Excellence in Public Service.

MEET THE 2021 PRIZEWINNERS

Art

Still Life with Dial

1922 Stuart Davis
A cubist still life featuring a cup and saucer, stack of magazines, and jug on an upturned table top.

Acoma Four Color Polychrome Olla

c. 1900 Unknown Artist
An Acoma pot decorated in white, red, orange, and black geometric shapes.

Mont Sainte-Victoire

c. 1927 Marsden Hartley
Painting of a mountain ridge in navy and pink surrounded by a landscape of warm pinks, reds, and green.

Black Package

1965 Christo
A package wrapped in black fabric with twine and rope and attached to a white block of wood and enclosed in plexiglass.

Bomber

1944 Ralston Crawford
Painting of a plane crash with debris from the aircraft, buildings, and landscape, including a bicycle.

Mezcala Temple with Four Columns and Recumbent Figure

200 BCE–500 CE Unknown Artist
Sculpture of a four column temple with a reclining figure on the top and a staircase carved into the base.

Penumbra

2007-2010 Neri Oxman
Translucent yellow abstract sculpture with multiple folds.

Women and Trees

1911 Max Weber
A group of pale, nude women scattered among the trees in a forest.

Events

Virtual Exhibition

The Synchromists

April 24, 2020 - April 24, 2021

In 1912, Morgan Russell and Stanton Macdonald-Wright founded Synchromism, meaning “with color,” a movement in which color becomes an expressive and formal element, and held their first exhibitions in Munich and Paris in 1913.

Read more

News

December 17, 2020

Andrew Yang: A pragmatic leader for New York

Vilcek Foundation President Rick Kinsel writes on Andrew Yang—and how the Vilcek Foundation prizewinner exemplifies the type of leadership New York needs to move forward.
December 15, 2020

Spotlight Series: Perth Amboy West (Tottenville)

Curator Emily Schuchardt Navratil explores Oscar Bluemner’s precisionist landscape painting, 'Perth Amboy West (Tottenville),' through an examination of sketchbooks and notes that provide insight into this vibrant and innovative work of American Modernist art.
September 7, 2020

Announcing the 2021 Vilcek Foundation Prizewinners

The 2021 Vilcek Foundation Prizes celebrate the outstanding career achievements of immigrant leaders in filmmaking, biomedical science, and public service.
December 7, 2020

Dr. Vivek Murthy Presented with 2020 Vilcek-Gold Award

Vivek accepted the award at AAMC’s annual meeting and participated in a discussion on human connection and public health.
October 23, 2020

‘Minari’ is a portrait of a South Korean immigrant family in America’s heartland

Steven Yeun plays a father who seeks to build a legacy for his family in the film ‘Minari,' presented in the New American Perspectives program at the Hawai’i International Film Festival.