Vilcek Foundation cofounders Marica and Jan Vilcek have endowed a curatorial position in the Department of Arms and Armor at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The position, “The Marica F. and Jan. T. Vilcek Associate Curator,” follows in the philanthropists’ tradition of supporting the work of art historians at The Met and other institutions through fellowships, scholarships, and endowments.

Art historian and curator John Byck

Art historian and curator John Byck was named the Marica F. and Jan T. Vilcek Associate Curator in February 2024. He joined the Department of Arms and Armor at The Met in September 2015.

Since 2015, Byck has established himself as a leading authority in the art and history of antique American and European firearms and edged weapons, publishing and lecturing extensively on those topics. He has curated several important exhibitions on the subject, including The Art of London Firearms, Japanese Arms and Armor from the Collection of Etsuko and John Morris, and Emperors, Artists & Inventors: Transformative Gifts of Fine Arms and Armor. 

Educational foundations: The Institute of Fine Arts, and the Department of Drawings and Prints

Byck completed his undergraduate degree in American history and classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 2006. There, he began taking art history courses, which ignited a passion for the subject. Following his graduation, he interned at Christie’s auction house, and enrolled at the Institute of Fine Arts (IFA) at New York University, where he earned master’s and PhD degrees in 2010 and 2015. 

At the IFA, Byck’s scholarship focused on Medieval and Renaissance prints and drawings. He began his career at The Met in 2009 as an intern in the Department of Drawings and Prints before taking on a role as a research assistant, a position he held from September 2009 through August 2015.

An interdisciplinary approach to Arms and Armor

While working in the Department of Drawings and Prints, Byck’s scholarship and broad range of interests attracted the attention of Pierre Terjanian, then the Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Curator in Charge of Arms and Armor, who hired Byck as an assistant curator. The Department of Arms and Armor’s diverse collection invited interdisciplinary study; this provided Byck an opportunity to apply his expertise in design, metalwork, decorative arts, and history to develop exhibition projects, scholarship, and publications for the department and the museum at large.

In May 2024, Byck was invited to deliver a lecture at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on firearms decorated by Tiffany & Co, reflecting on research he developed as part of his work on The Met’s 2024 exhibition, Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co. While in the United Kingdom, he led a travel program for patrons of the Department of Arms and Armor. The program centered on providing an inside-view of preeminent public and private collections of arms and armor and building connections between art collectors, curators, and historians.

Byck’s passionate exploration and in-depth scholarship align with Marica Vilcek’s own career in the arts and art history, and the lineage of curators and art historians she has supported through her mentorship and patronage. 

The Vilcek Foundation is delighted at Byck’s appointment as the Marica F. and Jan T. Vilcek Associate Curator. We look forward to what comes next for this promising young museum professional.