@vilcekfoundation.bsky.social
The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation of the arts, sciences, and humanities. Learn more at https://vilcek.org
#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 in vulnerabilities that could be used to develop targeted therapies. Watch more: vilcek.co/4ruEfZ4
Ruby Ibarra won the 2023 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Music for preserving her cultural heritage & articulating the immigrant experience through her work. As we mark our 25th anniversary, we are proud to keep amplifying immigrant voices. Stories like hers make our mission meaningful.
Happy Women’s History Month! We are dedicating our Immigrant Story of the Week to celebrate some of the remarkable immigrant women who inspire us. Valeria Luiselli's forthcoming novel, “Beginning Middle End,” will be released this July with an accompanying audio book. Read more: vilcek.co/4r9KAZL
We are so proud to contribute support for NYFA's Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program through a $20,000 grant. The program connects visual and multidisciplinary immigrant artists with mentors, resources, and tools to foster success in their careers. Learn more: vilcek.co/4lgycpo
We were grateful to be able to contribute to the publication & distribution of Pulitzer Prize-winning immigrant author Cristina Rivera Garza's latest work "Autobiography of Cotton" through a $20,000 Vilcek Foundation Grant to @graywolfpress.bsky.social. Apply for our grants: 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. Apply by May 4, 2026: vilcek.co/4kXM6fY
We’re thrilled to share that our art prizewinner in Visual Arts Guadalupe Maravilla has been invited to participate in the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. 🌍✨ 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? Listen to our curatorial fellow Olivia Wrobleski walk us through the importance of abstraction in Il Lee’s work, as well as some responses from our visitors. The exhibition is open through April 29th. Book a free tour: 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 support immigrant professionals who have demonstrated exceptional early career achievements in their field. Learn more: vilcek.co/4006xzc
Author Edwidge Danticat is world-renowned for her memoirs, essays, & short stories that explore immigration, the Haitian diaspora, and mother-daughter relationships. Vilcek Prizewinner in Literature, Danticat first fell in love with storytelling as a child in Haiti. Learn more: 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 TômTex, a materials innovation company producing high-quality, 100% biodegradable fabrics. Learn more about Uyen and sustainable fashion: vilcek.co/3NA83oR
Pisces season has arrived! This water sign encourages artistic creativity and a heightened need for deeper meaning and connection. The artistry and symbolism behind modernist Marsden Hartley's “Tropic Fantasy” (1935-1936), encapsulate the flowing imagination of Pisces. Learn more: vilcek.co/4rdjpy0
Fashion and textile historian Natalie Nudell is awarded the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Culture. Nudell has dedicated her career to highlighting the contributions of immigrants, women, and underrepresented communities in the industry. Learn more: vilcek.co/49H1vxi
Congratulations to Viviana Gradinaru, 2020 Vilcek Prizewinner for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science, for being a key figure behind a new partnership between Cedars-Sinai and Caltech that seeks to foster innovation, collaboration & scientific breakthrough. Learn more: vilcek.co/4rt69oY
Major milestone for our 2022 Vilcek Prizewinner for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science @harriswang.bsky.social: he’s been appointed Chair of Systems Biology at @columbiauniversity.bsky.social! Wang is widely regarded for his research on microbial communities. Read more: vilcek.co/4aVRvAD
Marcelo Gutierrez, 2026 Vilcek Prizewinner for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design, has become known for his bold work with iconic figures in fashion and for a commitment to honoring legacy while creating space for new forms of recognition. Learn more: vilcek.co/4rgHN1l
Eye-spy...A Happy Lunar New Year! 🧧✨The Year of the Fire Horse invites us to move with confidence & embrace new opportunities. Can you spot the horse in Stuart Davis's "Study for Radio Music Hall?" Part of our collection, this piece echoes that same bold energy. Explore more: vilcek.co/3MJlkLz
Meet Jalan & Jibril Durimel, 2026 Vilcek Prizewinners for Creative Promise in Fashion & Culture! The duo is awarded in recognition of their ability to present fashion as part of a broader, evocative exploration of creativity through light & color in their photography. Learn more: vilcek.co/3O3ib9z
Love is in full bloom! This Valentine’s Day, The Vilcek Foundation is sending you flowers, with love, from our archives. 💌 View these and other works from our collection: vilcek.co/4rdjpy0
Announcing @amanglik.bsky.social as the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science recipient! Manglik’s research has fundamentally changed how scientists view GPCRs, the cellular switches that detect molecules outside of the cell. Learn more about Manglik's story: vilcek.co/4kiuMSJ
Jacques Agbobly is awarded the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design for building a research-driven practice centering Afropolitan identity & diasporic memory. Their work in sustainable, made-to-order models is grounded in West African craftsmanship. Read more: vilcek.co/4qF9n8m
Big news! Our 2024 Vilcek Prizewinner for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science Takanori Takebe has been named to the TIME100 Health List of Most Influential Leaders. 🎉 Takebe is recognized for his pioneering work in organoid and regenerative medicine. Read more: vilcek.co/4rcHxR4
In honor of International Day of Women & Girls in Science, we celebrate @bernasozen.bsky.social, our 2026 Vilcek Prizewinner for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science! Sozen has pioneered stem cell-based models that make the earliest stages of human development accessible. vilcek.co/4rgJhZu
Some stories exist outside the spotlight, but Diego Bendezu makes sure they’re seen. 📸✨ Bendezu is the 2026 Vilcek Prizewinner for Creative Promise in Fashion & Culture for his powerful visual storytelling centering Latin American & immigrant narratives in fashion. Read more: vilcek.co/4bR8vcc
Check out this article in @science.org featuring our Vilcek Prizewinners: @nucleosomepolice.bsky.social, @takashiakeralab.bsky.social, @amanglik.bsky.social, & @bernasozen.bsky.social! These immigrant scientists are shaping the future of medicine. Read more about their discoveries: vilcek.co/3OxUKFG
Japanese biologist Takashi Akera is exploring a lesser-understood process in reproduction: the advancement of “selfish DNA.” Awarded the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science, Akera studies how selfish DNA can drive disorders like Down syndrome. Read more: vilcek.co/4pWXeug
#OnthisDay in 2015, 65 works from the Vilcek Foundation art collection were featured in our traveling exhibition “From New York to New Mexico: Masterworks of American Modernism.” It marked the first time some of these artworks were accessible to the public in the U.S. Learn More: vilcek.co/4aByROh
We joined students for their hands-on science experience led by BioBus. Supported through one of our discretionary grants, BioBus brings immersive STEM education directly to schools in historically under-resourced communities. Our open call for grants is open! Apply now: https://vilcek.co/3NZzB7e
For Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, protecting cultural heritage through the repatriation of antiquities equates to saving human life. “Once you erase a people’s historical identity, the next step is to erase the people themselves.” Learn more about his passion for preservation: vilcek.co/4aehC5q