New York, NY — The Vilcek Foundation has chosen the field of design as the award category for the 2014 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in the Arts, and is now accepting applications through August 14, 2013. Three prizes, each including a $35,000 cash award, will be given to foreign-born designers aged 35 or under.

“Design, whether we notice it or not, plays an integral role in all aspects of our lives, from perfume to video games to smart cars,” said Marica Vilcek, Vice President of the Vilcek Foundation. “We are excited to recognize, with the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise, the many immigrant individuals behind these convergences of art, enterprise, and creativity.”

Designers from a broad spectrum of categories are invited to apply. Categories include:

•Product design – functional objects and systems including furniture, lighting, equipment, and transport.

•Graphic design – visual communication including branding, identity, illustration, packaging for print, or the built environment.

•Digital design – computer-created visual and interactive multimedia from print to gaming to web-based communications.

•Social design – projects addressing social issues to achieve a more equitable and/or sustainable solutions at the humanitarian, community, or environmental level.

Applicants will need to submit a resume, personal essays and work samples. A panel of distinguished experts will evaluate applicants based on the clarity, ambitiousness and feasibility of their vision; the degree of innovation and uniqueness apparent in the work samples; and the impact applicants have had in the field of design. Complete eligibility requirements and a link to the online application form can be found at www.vilcek.org.

The winners will be notified in November 2013, and honored at the Foundation’s annual awards ceremony in the spring of 2014.

The Vilcek Foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The mission of the Foundation, to honor the contributions of foreign-born scholars and artists living in the United States, was inspired by the couple’s careers in biomedical science and art history, respectively, as well as their personal experiences and appreciation for the opportunities they received as newcomers to this country. The Foundation hosts events to promote the work of immigrants, awards annual prizes to prominent immigrant biomedical scientists and artists, and sponsors cultural programs such as the Hawaii International Film Festival.

To learn more about The Vilcek Foundation, please visit Vilcek.org.

Source: Vilcek Foundation