The Vilcek Foundation will award three Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise of $50,000 each to young, immigrant visual artists and three Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise of $50,000 each to young, immigrant curators who demonstrate outstanding early achievement in their field. Applications are open through June 10, 2024.
Who Should Apply
- You were born outside the United States to non-American parents
- You are not more than 38 years old
- You have 5 years of professional experience in visual arts or curatorial work and possess a strong track record of creative and high-caliber work
Why Should You Apply
- Unrestricted cash prize of $50,000 is awarded to each prizewinner
- Reflect on how your experience as an immigrant has shaped your success
- Receive an invaluable endorsement from leaders in your field
- Receive a comprehensive public relations campaign to promote you and your work
Eligible Categories
Visual Arts
Applicants in the visual art category will be considered across the following areas of practice, please select all subcategories below that apply to your practice in general: painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, printmaking, ceramic, textile, installation, film/video, digital art, performance that manifests in time-based visual presentation, etc.
Curatorial Work
Applicants in the curatorial work categories will be considered for having organized and developed single artist or group exhibitions at any scale or extending over any or time period in the following professional capacities: private or public institutions, foundations, independent curatorial practice, biennials or art fairs, galleries, etc.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Have been born outside the United States of America to non-American parents.
- Not be more than 38 years old as of December 31, 2024 (born on or after January 1, 1986). Exceptions will be made for applicants who were born between January 1, 1984, and December 31, 1985 who experienced career interruptions due to caregiving, medical, military or parental leave.
- Have lived in the United States for at least 4 years (or immigrated to the United States on or before December 31, 2020).
- Be one of the following: a naturalized citizen or a permanent resident of the United States; an H-1B or O-1 visa holder with a valid visa stamp; a H-4 visa holder with a valid EAD card; a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) relief; an asylee or an asylum seeker who has applied for asylum and has a valid EAD card. Please note that other types of visas including TN, F-1, J-1 visa holders are not eligible for the prize.
- Have at least 5 years of professional experience in visual arts or curatorial work.
- Have completed at least 3 implemented, professional solo or collective visual arts or curatorial projects.
- Not be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate degree program (Exceptions may apply for some doctoral students who will complete their program this year).
- Intend to pursue a career in the United States.
- Not be a past recipient of the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in any category.
Application and Selection Process
- Complete the application process. You will be required to:
- Provide personal information.
- Upload a PDF with documentation of your valid immigration status and your date of birth.
- Provide URL links to your portfolio of 3 to 5 projects, not to exceed 2 pages per project for visual arts applicants and not to exceed 10 pages per project for curatorial work applicants.
- Upload a PDF of your CV with a complete list of individual works and projects, exhibitions, residencies, education and training, current and past affiliations, awards, and recognitions.
- Provide up to 5 press clippings about your work.
- Complete 3 essay questions:
- Please describe your most important projects. We are interested in learning about the intention behind each of those projects, your artistic foundations, and creative approaches you developed based on your personal or professional path. (2,000 characters maximum including spaces)
- What do you hope to achieve through your work and how do you think it contributes to the development of visual arts or curatorial work as an art form and unique field of knowledge and practice? (2,000 characters maximum including spaces)
- Describe the circumstances of your immigration to the United States and how your experience as an immigrant informs and enriches your approach to visual arts or curatorial work. (1,500 characters maximum including spaces)
- Provide the names and contact information of 2 references.
- Sign an age exception self-attestation if you were born between January 1, 1984, and December 31, 1985.
- Submit a completed application by Monday, June 10, 2024, 5:00 pm ET.
- A panel of distinguished jurors—experts in visual arts and curatorial work—will evaluate applications based on the applicant’s contributions to the field of visual arts and curatorial work, as demonstrated by their essays, portfolio, and references. The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise will honor visual artists and curators whose work showcases high caliber and commitment to the field.
- Recommendations of the jury will be submitted to the Vilcek Foundation’s Board of Directors for final approval. All three winners will be considered equal in standing.
- The winners of the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Visual Arts and Curatorial Work categories will be notified in September 2024. Prizewinners will be invited to attend the Vilcek Foundation’s prizewinner event in New York City in the spring of 2025. Travel expenses and accommodations will be covered by the foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What visual arts and curatorial work categories are eligible?
- Visual arts: Applicants in the visual art category will be considered across the following areas of practice, please select all subcategories below that apply to your practice in general: painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, printmaking, ceramic, textile, installation, film/video, digital art, performance that manifests in time-based visual presentation, etc.
- Curatorial work: Applicants in the curatorial work categories will be considered for having organized and developed single artist or group exhibitions at any scale or extending over any or time period in the following professional capacities: private or public institutions, foundations, independent curatorial practice, biennials or art fairs, galleries, etc.
Can a collective apply for the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise?
Yes, as long as all members of the collective meet the eligibility requirements, a representative may submit an application. Please note that if selected, the cash awards can only be paid to individuals.
Are interdisciplinary practices eligible?
Yes, interdisciplinary practices can apply for the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise as long as you identify with at least one of the eligible categories. Applicants should select one main category that best represents the practice.
Do you accept research-based practices?
Yes, research-based practices will be accepted. However, you must be able to provide evidence of 3 professional, implemented design projects (research-based or not) to be eligible.
Can I receive feedback on my application?
Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we regret not being able to provide feedback on applications.
Why must I have completed “professional, implemented solo or collective visual arts or curatorial projects” in order to apply?
Our selection process involves several stages of review and in order to spend ample time on each application, we carefully have to narrow our pool of applications. For our prizes in curatorial work and visual arts, we decided to narrow this by requiring an applicant to display proof of completion of professional, implemented solo or collective visual arts or curatorial projects. These are minimum qualifications and they don’t have to be your best projects.
How will you verify proof of “professional, implemented solo or collective visual arts or curatorial projects”?
Applicants will need to provide proof that they completed 3 professional projects through implementation by including a link to the project, example might include images of installation shots, individual artworks, exhibition descriptions, artists statements, catalog essays, wall text, and if applicable, a brief statement on the process and intended impact of that work. These 3 examples will not be viewed by the jury, and do not have to be your best work. A round of initial screeners will verify that an applicant has completed 3 professional, implemented projects, without examining the quality or success of those projects. Should your examples demonstrate you meet this requirement, your application and actual portfolio can advance to the review stage by established curators and art professionals.
Why must I have had “5 years of professional experience in visual arts and curatorial work” in order to apply? How do you define this?
By 5 years of professional experience, we mean an applicant’s professional practice should span at least 5 years.
What is the difference between the portfolio and the “professional, implemented solo or collective visual arts or curatorial projects” requirement?
Our jury will assess the work you include in your portfolio only. The professional, implemented solo or collective visual arts or curatorial projects will only be viewed by an initial round of screeners for verification purposes, without examining the quality or success of those projects.
The projects I am looking to submit fall across more than one of your categories. Will my application be more or less competitive depending on the categories I select?
No. We realize that visual arts and curatorial work may fall within more than one and you are encouraged to check all of the subcategories that are applicable. This is an organizational lens for us; this is not a lens that will impact the validity or merit of the application or how the jury will conduct their assessment.
Can I submit materials in foreign languages?
Yes, but please include English translations for non-English materials.
I am currently here on OPT/student/other visa types; am I eligible?
You are eligible if you currently hold a valid O-1 or H-1B or H-4 visa and have been residing in the United States for at least 4 years. Any other visa status is not eligible.
I am currently in the process of applying for a green card; am I eligible?
If you are in the process of finalizing the application for a green card and expect to have the proper documentation by August 2024, please contact us at creativepromise@vilcek.org before submitting your application.
I am currently applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status; am I eligible?
You are eligible if you have an I-797 approval notice showing approval of the I-821D DACA application. If you are in the process of applying for DACA and expect to have the proper documentation by August 2024, please contact us at creativepromise@vilcek.org before submitting your application.
My temporary green card has expired, but I have submitted paperwork to become a permanent resident. I do not know if and when they will receive my information. Am I eligible?
Yes, applicants in the process of becoming a permanent resident are eligible. Please contact us at creativepromise@vilcek.org for further instructions.
I am over the age limit but not by much; can you make an exception?
Regretfully, we are not able to make exceptions unless you experienced career interruptions due to caregiving, medical, military or parental leave, and are within two years of the age requirement (born between January 1, 1984, and December 31, 1985).
What kind of documentation should I provide to prove my career interruption?
Below are examples of accepted documentation:
- Confirmation letter from your employer, a medical provide, or a military office;
- Official request for leave or approval notice;
- Certificate of birth or military service.
Do you accept other reasons for career interruptions?
No, currently we only make exceptions for caregiving, medical, military, or parental leave.
I was born in Puerto Rico, Guam, or another U.S. territory; am I eligible?
Regretfully, we do not accept applications from individuals born in the U.S. territories.
I was born outside the United States, but to American citizens; am I eligible?
Regretfully, we do not accept applications from U.S. citizens who were born overseas but are American by birth.
Can the winners use the prize money to support a specific project, personal expenses, etc.?
Each winner will receive an unrestricted cash prize; there is no obligation to use the money in any particular way.
Are there any other monetary fees that I should be aware of before applying?
Winners of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes receive unrestricted cash prizes, which is considered taxable income. Consult your financial advisor to understand any tax implications of receiving a cash prize.
If I win, will I have to pay taxes on the prize?
Yes, you will have to pay taxes on any income you receive through any Vilcek Foundation Prize.
If I apply for the prize this year and am not chosen as a prize winner, can I apply again in the future?
Yes, as long as you are within the age limit of a certain prize cycle and are not chosen as a prize winner, you are eligible to apply as many times as you would like. Please note that our arts and humanities categories repeat every eight to ten years.