The Vilcek Foundation

📣 Only 2 weeks left to apply for a Vilcek Foundation Grant! 📣 The Vilcek Foundation will award grants of up to $20,000 to eligible nonprofit organizations as part of our 2026 grant cycle. If your organization is a U.S.-based nonprofit celebrating immigrant contributions to the arts, sciences, culture, or society, we want to hear from you! Deadline: April 30, 2026 Apply now: vilcek.co/4dLh1ur

As we remember our cofounder Marica Vilcek (1936–2026), there is no one better to tell her incredible life story than Marica herself. We are deeply grateful for Marica’s vision, generosity, and unwavering commitment to uplifting others. Learn more: vilcek.co/4d0ppWx

We are deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved cofounder Marica Vilcek (1936–2026). Known widely in the New York City community and beyond as an insightful art historian and tireless philanthropist, Marica died peacefully on Monday, March 23, 2026, at her home in New York at the age of 89. Learn more about Marica's legacy: vilcek.co/4d0ppWx

Bold, fiery, and impossible to ignore, Aries season is here! Few works capture this season’s spirit like Hot Lava #1 by artist Tadashi Sato from the Vilcek Foundation Art Collection. Inspired by the volcanic landscape of his native home of Maui, Sato depicts the chaotic beauty of Hawaii. The brushstrokes of dark blue and black that fade to lighter cobalt and gray give the impression that the volcano is ready to burst at any moment. Like Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, the painting pulses with possibility: movement, energy, and transformation. Learn more about the Vilcek Foundation Art Collection: vilcek.co/4rdjpy0

Our traveling exhibition “Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery” returns to its ancestral home. Developed with the School for Advanced Research, the exhibition features more than 100 historic and contemporary works of Pueblo pottery. More than 60 community curators from over 20 Native American communities worked together as the Pueblo Pottery Collective to select works spanning centuries of history, from pre-contact pottery to contemporary creations by artists across the Southwest. Visitors can also experience additional pottery from the IPCC’s collection, along with public programs including panel discussions and live art demonstrations by members of the Collective. 📍 On view March 20, 2026–February 21, 2027 at Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

For Mona Ghandi (b.Iran), architecture begins with connection. A recipient of the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Architecture, Mona is inspired by traditional Iranian spaces designed for social gatherings. Her work reimagines how built environments can bring people together and evolve with them. “I’m trying to heighten the level of intimacy between the mind, body, and the environment to the point of dissolving the boundaries and making a single entity,” she says. Watch the full video: vilcek.co/4cUrAei #WomensHistoryMonth #ImmigrantStoryoftheWeek

Multidisciplinary artist Jeffrey Meris uses sculpture, installation, and drawing to critique imperialism and colonial legacies. Originally from Haiti and the Bahamas, Jeffrey won our Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Visual Arts for his artistry that aims to liberate and heal from individual and historical trauma. On March 21st, Jeffrey will open his second solo show in New York titled, Assotto:ottossA, at François Ghebaly Gallery. Jeffrey was inspired by the poet who used the pseudonym Assotto Saint. Assotto refers to the sound of the drums used during voodoo initiation ceremonies that commenced the Haitian War of Independence, and the surname Saint, honors the leader of the free Haitian Republic, Toussaint L’Ouverture. This exhibition explores the dynamic of intergenerational kinship, ancestral memory, and queer utopia and comprises two bodies of works: AM series (African Masks) and geodesics. Jeffrey Meris: Assotto:ottossA March 21-April 25, 2026 François Ghebaly Gallery 391 Grand St. New York, NY 10002

For 25 years, the Vilcek Foundation has celebrated the creativity and impact of immigrants in the arts and sciences across the United States. As we look back on this milestone, we reached back out to the immigrants who make our society and the Vilcek community great. From the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Mexico, France, and beyond, these individuals share how their work, identities, and experiences as immigrants inform their creations and contributions. We are honored to highlight their voices. ✨

#Immigrantstoryoftheweek! Gerta Hoxhaj (b. Albania) was awarded our 2024 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for her research in metabolic pathways in cancer cells, specifically identifying vulnerabilities that could be used to develop targeted therapies. Inspired by her grandfather’s work as a physician, Gerta knew she wanted to pursue a career in science from a young age. She loves that science has allowed her to connect with people from around the world. “We all come from different cultures [and have] different education. We can learn from one another so much more than when we work by ourselves—there’s so much to discover!” Gerta says. 🎥 Watch the full video: vilcek.co/4ruEfZ4

Ruby Ibarra is just one example of what an immigrant artist in the United States looks like. She won the 2023 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Music for her hip-hop and spoken word performances that center her experience as a Filipina American woman, and for her powerful lyrics that address colonialism, immigration, colorism, and misogyny. Since being awarded this prize, Ruby has gone on to win NPR's tiny desk concert and cofounded the record label Bolo Music Group, which highlights Filipino American artists. "I love music because it really is the only language where I can fully express myself and I can fully capture the stories of the people in my community," Ruby says. As we celebrate the Vilcek Foundation’s 25th year uplifting immigrants in the arts and sciences, we are proud to continue amplifying the voices of individuals like Ruby. Stories like hers are what make our mission meaningful.

Happy Women’s History Month! 💜 This March, we are dedicating our Immigrant Story of the Week to celebrate some of the remarkable immigrant women who inspire us with their vision, courage, and contributions. Meet award-winning author Valeria Luiselli (b. Mexico), winner of the 2020 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature and the Sadie Samuelson Levy Professor in Languages and Literature at Bard College. Valeria is fascinated by sound: it is a central part of her creative process. Her forthcoming novel, “Beginning Middle End,” will be released this July with an accompanying audio book. The recording features audio clips from Valeria’s own trip to the novel’s setting of Sicily. Read more about it in her recent interview with The New Yorker: vilcek.co/4r9KAZL

Some snapshots from a talk by Pulitzer Prize-winning immigrant author Cristina Rivera Garza (b. Mexico), at The Center for Fiction in Downtown Brooklyn! We were grateful to be able to contribute to the publication and distribution of Cristina's latest work "Autobiography of Cotton" through a $20,000 Vilcek Foundation Grant to @GraywolfPress. The novel focuses on a woman’s efforts to uncover her family’s history, including her grandparents’ involvement in a 1934 labor strike in Mexico. Interested in receiving a Vilcek Foundation Grant? Apply for our open call! We are accepting applications for grants of up to $20,000 to celebrate immigrants in the arts, sciences, and society. Learn more: vilcek.co/40Hlg2i

Are you an immigrant leading scientific advancements through your research? Then apply today for a Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science! 🔬🧑‍🔬 These $50,000 cash awards are given as part of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes program, which supports immigrant professionals who have demonstrated exceptional early career achievements in their field. Apply by May 4, 2026: vilcek.co/4rIrJ9g

We’re thrilled to share that Guadalupe Maravilla, winner of our 2025 Vilcek Prize in Visual Arts, has been invited to participate in the 61st International Art Exhibition of @la_Biennale. 🌍✨ Titled “In Minor Keys” and curated by Koyo Kouoh, the 2026 exhibition will bring together 111 artists from around the world when it opens on May 9. We’re proud to see Guadalupe’s powerful work take its place on this global stage! Read more: vilcek.co/4seZdeX

What does this artwork make you think of? This central piece, hung on the Vilcek Foundation’s feature wall, has sparked a lot of discussion. Listen to our curatorial fellow Olivia Wrobleski walk us through the importance of abstraction in Lee’s work, as well as some responses from our visitors. “Il Lee—Energy and Flow” is open through April 29th. Tours are free and by appointment only: vilcek.co/4psdgvW

Are you an immigrant shaping the future of the culinary arts? Then apply today for a Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Culinary Arts! These $50,000 cash awards are given as part of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes program, which supports immigrant professionals who have demonstrated exceptional early career achievements in their field. Apply by May 4, 2026: vilcek.co/4qZv1DV

Author Edwidge Danticat is world-renowned for her memoirs, essays, and short stories that explore immigration, the Haitian diaspora, and mother-daughter relationships. Winner of our Vilcek Prize in Literature, Danticat first fell in love with storytelling as a child in Haiti. Her aunt and grandmother would entertain the family during blackouts by sharing oral histories. “It was one of the few times where the adults were truly joyful,” she recalls, “That’s when I thought I want to be a writer in order to create for others that magic of a living story.” Watch the full video and learn more about Danticat: vilcek.co/46Ue1Yi

Huge congratulations to Guosong Hong for being named Sloan Research Fellow! This 2-year fellowship supports his outstanding research in medicine and celebrates his impact as a leader in the field. So well deserved! Read more: vilcek.co/4awBi4P

Meet Uyen Tran, winner of our 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design! 🍃✂️ Tran is the founder and creative force behind @TomTexCo a materials innovation company producing high-quality, 100% biodegradable fabrics. Her determination and leadership has led her to develop environmentally friendly products that support the health of people and the planet without sacrificing quality. Learn more about Uyen and sustainable fashion: vilcek.co/3LUgmLt

Pisces season has arrived! Represented by two circling fish, this water sign encourages artistic creativity and a heightened need for deeper meaning and connection. Modernist Marsden Hartley was likely not considering the zodiac when he painted “Tropic Fantasy” (1935-1936), but the artistry and symbolism behind this work encapsulate the flowing imagination of Pisces. A prolific traveler, Hartley painted “Tropic Fantasy” after spending time in Bermuda, Europe, and other regions of North America. The artist's appreciation for other cultures and styles greatly informed his own practice as a modernist painter. Learn more about "Tropic Fantasy" and the work of Marsden Hartley: vilcek.co/4rdjpy0