The Vilcek Foundation

Hashim M. Al-Hashimi, who won our 2013 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences @americanacad ! 🎊 Al-Hashimi (b. Lebanon) is the Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Columbia University @columbia . His groundbreaking work on the dynamic structures of RNA and DNA molecules has reshaped the field of structural biology and deepened our understanding of cellular activity. 🧬🔬 We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved honor and his continued contributions to biomedical science and discovery. 💡✨ Read more through the link in bio!

We are excited to see Tatiana Desardouin, our 2022 Vilcek Prizewinner for Creative Promise in Dance, take the stage with her latest work in A L I G N, a split bill presented by @artsonsite . Featuring Passion Fruit Dance Company, “RESONANCE” imagines music as a living presence, one that speaks through movement, resonance, and shared breath. “RESONANCE” is written and performed by @tatianadesardouin and @k.niin , choreographed by Tatiana, with live music by @k.tpm 🗓️ May 29 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. 📍Arts On Site NYC 🎟️ Get your tickets through the link in bio!

May is National Pet Month and we are giving a round of a-paws to our furry team members at the Vilcek Foundation! 🐾✨🧡

I was honored to have contributed in an advisory capacity to the Vilcek Foundation @vilcekfoundation for their fashion and culture prizes, which were recently awarded. This was the first time the Vilcek Foundation instituted prizes specifically for fashion and culture, alongside those in fashion design. It was particularly meaningful to me, as I have long argued that fashion should be understood as being on par with other aspects of visual and material culture as an influential part of culture as opposed to simply reflecting what gets made elsewhere. In line with the foundation’s mission, the prizes were reserved for immigrants, which of course made it even more significant to me as an immigrant to the US, especially considering the increasingly xenophobic and anti-immigration climate. It was such a pleasure to celebrate the prize winners last week: Tanya Meléndez-Escalante, @tanya.melendez.fashion . Diego Bendezu @diegobendezu Jalan and Jibril Durimel @durimel and Natalie Nudell @natalien__ Thank you to the jury, the staff of the Vilcek Foundation and in particular its indefatigable president Rick Kinsel @rick.kinsel .

#OnThisDay six years ago, the Vilcek Foundation published its very first coloring book: The Marsden Hartley Coloring Book 🎨 Created for art lovers of all ages, the free downloadable book invites users to explore the bold forms, landscapes, still lifes, and abstract compositions of renowned American Modernist painter Marsden Hartley through creativity and color. Inspired by Hartley’s travels across Europe and North America, and the natural beauty of his home state of Maine, the coloring book offers a thoughtful and imaginative way to engage with his work. In 2022, we released a printed edition with @merrellpublishers . Featuring an introduction by our President @rick.kinsel , the book includes new reproductions of 30 artworks alongside illustrations and layouts by graphic artist @kinsel.paula . Learn more about the book with the link in bio 📚

We are thrilled to see Oluremi C. Onabanjo, our 2025 Vilcek Prizewinner in Curatorial Work, step into her new role as Curator in the Department of Photographs at @metmuseum this summer 📸🏛️✨ Previously, @oluremi.onabanjo served as The Peter Schub Curator in the Robert B. Menschel Department of Photography at @themuseumofmodernart , where her scholarship and curatorial work expanded conversations around photography, identity, and global contemporary art, bringing greater visibility to artists and narratives that have often been overlooked in major institutions. In her new role, she will help shape exhibitions, acquisitions, and research in twentieth-century contemporary photography, as well as time-based media, with a particular focus on artistic practices from Africa and Asia. She will also contribute to the stewardship of the Walther Collection, helping broaden how photography is presented within a more interconnected global history of art. Born in London and raised across Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and the United States, Oluremi brings a deeply international perspective shaped by a lifetime immersed in art, literature, film, and music across cultures. We can’t wait to see how her vision shapes future exhibitions at The Met!

We can’t stop thinking about our awards ceremony! 🏆🎊 We had a wonderful evening celebrating the 2026 Vilcek Foundation Prizewinners in Biomedical Science, Fashion, and Art History, alongside our president, @rick.kinsel , as well as family, friends, and board members at @lejardinsurmadison . This year held special significance as we marked 25 years since Jan and Marica Vilcek established the foundation with the powerful mission to champion immigrants and celebrate excellence in the arts and sciences. It was also our first awards ceremony without our beloved co-founder, Marica, whose vision and legacy continue to guide everything we do. Swipe to see some of our favorite moments of the night, and join us in recognizing our incredible prizewinners! 👏✨ 🔬🇦🇹Karolin Luger – ’26 Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science 🏛️🇲🇽Tanya Meléndez-Escalante (@tanya.melendez.fashion ) ’26 Vilcek Prize in Fashion & Culture 🪡🇻🇳Peter Do (@doxpeter ) – ’26 Vilcek Prize in Fashion & Design 🧬🇯🇵Takashi Akera (takashi.akera) – ’26 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science 🥼🇮🇳Aashish Manglik (@aashishmanglik ) – ’26 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science 🧫🇹🇷Berna Sozen (@berna_sozen ) – ’26 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science 📸🇵🇪Diego Bendezu (@diegobendezu ) – ’26 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Culture 🎞️🇫🇷Jalan and Jibril Durimel (@durimel ) – ’26 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Culture 📰🇨🇦Natalie Nudell (@natalien__ ) – ’26 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Culture 👗🇹🇬Jacques Agbobly (@illinoize ) – ’26 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design 🪞🇨🇴Marcelo Gutierrez (@marcelogutierrez ) – ’26 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design 🍃🇻🇳Uyen Tran (@uyen.tran.chloe ) – ’26 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design 🏺🇺🇸Matthew Bogdanos – ’26 Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History

If we were stepping onto the “Fashion is Art” Met Gala red carpet tonight, this would be our inspiration 📸👗✨ Part of our Vilcek Foundation Art Collection, “Figure in Rotation” (1948) by Max Weber is a plaster sculpture featuring the twisting form of a nude woman. Its Cubist treatment and striking gaze echo the masked faces of the women in Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” (1907), while the shape of her hair recalls Matisse’s early sculptures like “Reclining Nude I” (1907). Weber first modeled this figure in 1917, later enlarging it in plaster around 1948 and casting it in bronze in an edition of three, one of which actually resides in the @metmuseum ! You can learn more about “Figure in Rotation” and explore the interactive 3D model with the link in bio. 🔗 #ArchiveThrowback #MaxWeber #MetGala2026 #CostumeArt #FashionisArt

We are tuning in to The Met Gala tonight! ✨🏛️ Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of the @metcostumeinstitute and the 2015 Vilcek Prizewinner in Fashion, is the mind behind this year’s spring exhibition: “Costume Art.” The British-born curator comes to fashion with an anthropologist’s eye. Known for landmark exhibitions like “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” and “Heavenly Bodies,” Andrew frames fashion as a vital form of artistic and cultural expression. This year’s Met Gala dress code, “Fashion is Art,” reflects that vision, presenting fashion as an extension of art itself. The exhibition brings together nearly 400 objects, from garments to paintings and sculptures, across 5,000 years of art history, highlighting how designers use the human form as a blank canvas for creative exploration. “Costume Art” will be on view at @metmuseum from May 10, 2026, through January 10, 2027. #Immigrantstoryoftheweek #MetGala2026 #CostumeArt #FashionisArt

📣 Deadline Extended 📣 Thinking about applying for our Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise but haven’t hit submit yet? Or just hearing about it now? Take this as your sign! 🌟 The Vilcek Foundation will award $50,000 to nine early-career immigrant professionals across Biomedical Science 🧪🔬, Culinary Arts: Food & Beverage 🥘🍷 and Media & Storytelling 🎬✍️. Visit the link in our bio for details and submit your application by May 11 🔗

Uyen Tran (@uyen.tran.chloe ), winner of the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design, believes her superpower is “turning overlooked resources into something valuable.” 🌱⭐️ 🇻🇳 An immigrant from Vietnam, Uyen was inspired to take action after witnessing the effects of overconsumption and climate change on coastal communities, like her hometown of Da Nang. Through her materials innovation company @tomtex.lab , she’s working to bring these sustainable materials to industries ranging from fashion to furniture and beyond. 👩‍🔬✨ Learn more about Uyen with the link in bio.

🇧🇬Born in Bulgaria to musician parents, Silvi Rouskin has always believed that with enough passion and persistence, anything is possible regardless of one’s background. Her journey is a powerful example of this belief. 🌟 A recipient of the 2021 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science, Silvi came to the United States alone at just 15 as a high school exchange student, determined to pursue a career in science through hard work and perseverance. Today, as a tenure-track faculty member at Harvard Medical School ​​(@harvardmed ), her groundbreaking research on viral RNA structures is helping advance new therapies for diseases such as HIV and COVID-19. 🔬✨ The Vilcek Foundation recognizes the importance of community support in helping talented individuals like Silvi advance in their journeys, a principle that has been central to our work over the past 25 years. We look forward to continuing to uplift their stories and the impact they make possible.