Nordstrom Men’s Store NYC Opens

Retailer Debuts First Manhattan Flagship

Nordstrom, Inc. opened the doors Thursday, April 12, to its very first flagship, full-line New York City location and first ever stand-alone men’s store at 235 West 57^th Street. The three-level 47,000 square foot store offers a differentiated merchandise assortment across all categories, including popular and designer brands, along with a range of convenient services to serve customers on their terms.

Nordstrom Incorporated logo. (PRNewsFoto)

The Nordstrom Men’s Store NYC features the company’s newest store design concepts, including an all-glass façade to bring in more natural light, unboxing the display windows, and connecting the shopping experience to the city. An open, flexible floor plan allows for an evolving curation of how products are displayed over time, depending on what New York customers respond to. The store environment will create a sense of discovery, allowing customers to navigate easily and find new brands they haven’t experienced before.

Calvin Klein Boutique at Nordstrom Men’s Store NYC

Nordstrom has been a longtime believer in investing in artwork for its stores. New Yorkers will experience an extensive collection, featuring 39 works by both international and American artists, with a quarter being local. Suspended in the center of a three-story staircase, a floating, diaphanous tree sculpture entitled “Arctic Tree” by the Seattle-based artist John Grade is a nod to the retailer’s Seattle roots.

EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE CONCEPTS
Olivia Kim, Nordstrom vice president of creative projects has curated a special Comme des Garçons(CDG) shop that will feature one of the largest local selections of the fashion house’s coveted brands. Olivia commissioned artist Marc Hundley to design a space that invokes both the ethos of CDG and the streets of New York City. In a first for Nordstrom, the men’s flagship will also feature designer shops by Calvin Klein, Balenciaga, Valentino, and Dior. Each space is united by a chainmail motif, but are distinguished by personalized fixtures adhering to each brand. The shoe department houses a Christian Louboutin shop displaying a wide range of the shoemaker’s sporty and formal offerings. The Nike Men’s Project, a sportswear and shoe destination for style and fitness-obsessed customers, will offer the brand’s latest sneakers and apparel collections.

Comme des Garcons shop at Nordstrom Men’s Store NYC

The store also features an array of customization and personalization experiences, including the Levi’s Tailor Shop, where customers can shop Levi’s Authorized Vintage, one of the largest vintage denim collections in existence, and also design custom embroidery on any item, heat press a shirt or get an express hem while they wait; Shinola will offer watch customization in addition to a selection of tech products; exclusive to the flagship, Samuelson Custom Suit Visualizer is an interactive digital made-to-measure suiting experience at an accessible price point; Eton Endless Aisle is a digital touchscreen offering an expanded assortment of dress shirts and ties; and cult-favorite Le Labo will create personalized fragrance labels in the grooming department.

Samsung Experience to Launch at Macy’s Herald Square

Just in time for the holiday season, customers at Macy’s flagship store in New York will be able to experience an integrated Samsung product ecosystem, featuring innovative technologies in mobile, virtual reality, QLED television, home audio, and more

Macy’s and Samsung has announced the launch of a unique Samsung experience at the retailer’s flagship location in New York City. Customers shopping at Macy’s Herald Square will be able to explore and purchase a range of Samsung products, including an assortment of the most innovative technologies in virtual reality, tablet, smartphone, wearable, the Family Hub refrigerator, QLED television, home audio and smart home categories.

“At Macy’s, we are focused on providing what matters most to our customers – an even more engaging shopping experience and the best, most innovative products,” said Marc Mastronardi, Macy’s executive vice president of business development. “With the new Samsung experience at Macy’s Herald Square, we are creating an innovative and beautiful, one-of-a-kind digital playground in a flagship department store, featuring numerous installations and touch points for customer engagement.”

For the first time, customers can experience an integrated Samsung ecosystem designed to simplify daily life, all in a specially curated 1,000 square foot space on the main floor at Macy’s Herald Square. Explore the next innovation television wall, featuring The Frame, which seamlessly transforms from a 4K UHD TV to a gallery-like art display for a premium entertainment experience. Accessorize your smart TV with a variety of home audio and video products, including Sound+ soundbar and Blu-ray players.

Customers can take a ride in the 4-D virtual reality roller coaster experience that puts you at the center of an out of this world journey to a new landscape with the Gear VR with Controller powered by Oculus.

A full range of Samsung product and accessories will round out the tech lover’s paradise, including Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note8 smartphones, cases, wireless mobile accessories and more. Customers will also have the opportunity to test and purchase the latest Samsung wearables, including the Gear Sport, Gear Fit2 Pro and Gear S3, and complete their home tech ecosystem with the Samsung Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi System and assortment of Samsung SmartThings hubs, outlets and sensors.

To experience the Samsung flagship ecosystem, including one-on-one concierge-like customer care, and purchase select products, customers can now visit Macy’s Herald Square during regular store hours.

Neiman Marcus Presents The 91st Edition Of Iconic Christmas Book As They Celebrate 110 Years

Fantasy Gifts Include a New Year’s Eve Celebration Above Times Square, One-of-a-Kind 7.2-Carat Emerald & Zambian Experience with Stephen Webster, Ryder Cup Experience with Jim Furyk and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited-Edition Dawns

The Neiman Marcus 2017 Christmas Book with its legendary Fantasy Gifts were unveiled by the luxury omni-channel retailer in Dallas. The 91st edition of this renowned book continues Neiman Marcus’ unmatched tradition of offering a selection of spectacular and unique holiday gifts sure to make even the wildest of dreams come true.

The arrival of the Christmas Book marks the official start of the holiday shopping season. This year’s edition carries on the Neiman Marcus tradition of presenting a refined selection of items across a broad range of categories for everyone on your holiday shopping list. With a new collection of Fantasy Gifts certain to satisfy even the most indulgent appetites, the Christmas Book features exceptional and distinctive gifts and experiences, including an aerial photo session with Gray Malin, a pampering experience in Paris with Sisley, and a bespoke handbag collection and Parisian experience with Olympia Le-Tan. This year’s “Yours & Mine” Fantasy Gift is a pair of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited-Edition Dawns in two color options.

“From hundreds of submissions we received, we are thrilled to now present the final ten Fantasy Gifts for 2017,” said Jim Gold, President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Neiman Marcus Group. “These gifts will exceed expectations through exceptional experiences and one-of-a-kind objects that only Neiman Marcus can curate!”

First published in 1926 as a 16-page booklet, the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book was initially intended as a Christmas card to the store’s best customers. Through the years, the book has maintained its personal touch while evolving into a legendary source for alluring and mystical gifts.

NEIMAN MARCUS 110th ANNIVERSARY

To mark the 110th anniversary of Neiman Marcus, a user-generated content campaign was launched via social media as a way to showcase customers’ memories on the cover of the iconic Christmas Book. Over 17,000 submissions were received from customers across the globe; 1,500 images are featured on the cover. The retailer is also incorporating a digital component that allows customers to submit, search, and share their images as part of an online mosaic.

“We can think of no better way to celebrate the holidays and our 110th anniversary than putting our customer’s front and center,” said Yujin Heo, Vice President, Creative, Neiman Marcus.

FANTASIES FOR PHILANTHROPY

The 2017 Christmas Book features over 780 holiday gifts across 300 pages. Nearly fifty percent of the items are under $250, with the least expensive item being $9 (Omy Coloring Book, page 264) and the most expensive priced at $1.6 million (New Year’s Eve at The Knickerbocker Hotel Fantasy Gift, page 140).

A portion of every Fantasy Gift will be donated to the Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation, bringing art-enriching experiences to youth nationwide. Stanley Marcus once said, “art enhances the quality of people’s lives.” His philosophy lives on through the foundation and Neiman Marcus is proud to continue its long legacy of giving back. Every single dollar of the Paper for Water Fantasy Gifts will go directly to the organization to fund clean water for communities in need.

Ten percent of proceeds from the Love to Give Collection also featured in the 2017 Christmas Book, benefit youth arts education programs in Neiman Marcus communities across the country. An additional $50,000 from online sales will go to The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation. The Love to Give Collection offers items perfectly priced for gifting ($20 – $295), and include product from various categories such as beauty, children, and home. Vendors include, but are not limited to, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Yves Saint Laurent, Nest Fragrances, Kim Seybert, and Sugarfina.

NORELL FRAGRANCES PARTNERSHIP

Another exciting portion of the Christmas Book highlights Neiman Marcus’ partnership with Norell Fragrances and The New School’s Parsons School of Design. Through this partnership, Neiman Marcus Fashion Director, Ken Downing, was part of a committee of judges that selected Anthony Thomas Galante as the recipient of the 2017 Norman Norell Design Award. His winning design, a hand-sequined silk georgette gown, with inspiration drawn from Norell’s classic design, is featured on page 105 of the Christmas Book.

The 2017 Christmas Book Fantasy Gifts include:

EXPERIENCE CHAMPAGNE AND CREATE PERSONALIZED CUVÉE WITH ARMAND DE BRIGNAC

Experience Champagne And Create Personalized Cuvée With Armand De Brignac: Travel to Champagne with Armand de Brignac – tend the vineyards, sample the reserves, stroll the private cellars, and finishing your own cuvée.

Kick things off with a first-class trip for four to Paris and a stay at Rosewood’s Hôtel de Crillon with a 12-course dinner at L’Ecrin. Next, a private car will take you to meet with the 13th-generation winegrowing family behind Armand de Brignac. Tend the vineyards, sample the reserves, stroll the private cellar, and help create your own cuvée. End the day with a helicopter flyover of Champagne’s villages and vineyards. Then, spend the night at Domaine Les Crayères, a majestic chateau, with a dinner at the three-Michelin-star L’Assiette Champenoise before enjoying Paris for one more glorious day and night. The fun doesn’t end there. Delivered to your door: 12 bottles of each of the five Armand de Brignac champagnes to savor until your bespoke bottles are ready. And when the time comes, 24 bottles of the personally finished cuvée, each inscribed with the giftee’s name.

One Armand de Brignac experience is offered by Pencils of Promise, which will retain any profits from the sale of this Fantasy Gift for its charitable initiative that provides educational opportunities for children in the developing world. Gift limited to one experience. ($150,000; page 127)

GRAY MALIN AERIAL PHOTO ADVENTURE

Go up, up, and away with fine-art photographer Gray Malin. Famous for his sunny, saturated aerial scenes, Malin will host a private one-hour helicopter jaunt for two over the beaches of Los Angeles and Malibu. Malin will click away at the agreed-upon scene, then have a post-flight Champagne toast with Malin to replay the day just shared. In a few weeks, select an edited photograph for Malin to print, sign, frame, and send – and perhaps to inspire dreams of new adventures. Hotel room provided for the two-night stay.

Gray Malin Aerial Photo Adventure: Capture shots from a helicopter during a private one-hour flight over Los Angeles and Malibu with fine-art aerial photographer Gray Malin. Enjoy two nights in Santa Monica and a post-flight toast with Gray.

With the purchase of the Gray Malin experience, $5,000 will be donated to The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation. Gift limited to one experience. ($35,000; page 129)

MADAME ALEXANDER DOLLS FOR A YEAR AND DOLLHOUSE BY KIDKRAFT

Your gift begins with a December delivery of eight darling dolls by Madame Alexander and a limited-edition Grand Anniversary Dollhouse by KidKraft. For the following 11 months, another doll comes – everyone from Wonderland’s curious Alice to the ruby-slippered girl from Kansas and her little dog, too. Storybook heroes, princesses, European royalty… imagine the diverse and delightful conversations they’ll inspire in the meticulously designed dollhouse – complete with accessories and furniture. The best is saved for last: the final doll will be customized, first collaborate with a top Madame Alexander designer and then choose the doll you want and how you want it to look.

Madame Alexander Dolls For A Year And Dollhouse By KidKraft: The gift that keeps giving – a dream year of dolls by Madame Alexander and a custom-made Grand Anniversary Dollhouse by KidKraft. Collaborate on the design of your final, customizable doll.

With the purchase of the Madame Alexander gift, $500 will be donated to The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation. Gift limited to ten packages. ($8,000; page 130)

First US Solo Exhibition Devoted To The Work of Patricia Urquiola

This fall, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will present Patricia Urquiola: Between Craft and Industry, November 19, 2017 – March 4, 2018, in the Alter Gallery 176, the first solo exhibition devoted to the work of this internationally acclaimed designer. The exhibition will showcase her versatility in creating products, interiors, and architectural spaces. On November 18, Urquiola will be honored with the Design Excellence Award by Collab, the Museum’s affiliate group for modern and contemporary design.

(Each year, Collab presents the Design Excellence Award to a design professional or manufacturer whose impact on the field is inspirational. Past recipients have included Rolf Fehlbaum, Marc Newson, Paula Scher and Seymour Chwast, Zaha Hadid, Alberto Alessi, Marcel Wanders, and Frank O. Gehry.)

Patricia Urquiola. Image by GAN, 2017.

Curious and energetic by nature, Urquiola moves with ease between product design, interior design, and architecture—whether designing handbags that convert into stools for Louis Vuitton, dinnerware for Rosenthal, or the recently opened Il Sereno Hotel on the shore of Lake Como in Italy.

Photograph of Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Barcelona, Spain. Designed by Patricia Urquiola. Designed in 2010.

Photograph of Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Barcelona, Spain. Designed by Patricia Urquiola. Designed in 2010.

Patricia Urquiola is one of the most influential designers in the world today. Born in Oviedo, Spain, and trained as an architect in Madrid, Urquiola graduated from the Politecnico di Milano, where she studied with Achille Castiglioni, one of the foremost lighting designers of the second half of the twentieth century. She opened a studio in Milan in 2001 and since that time has collaborated with dozens of manufacturers throughout the world, including Alessi, B&B Italia, Flos, Kartell, Moroso, and most recently the American firm of Haworth. In September 2015, Urquiola was appointed Art Director of the iconic Italian company Cassina. She has been the recipient of numerous accolades and awards including the Order of Isabella the Catholic, presented by King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Platter from the Landscape Tea Service. Designed by Patricia Urquiola in 2008. Made by Rosenthal AG, Selb, Germany. Porcelain. Gift of Rosenthal AG, 2008

Urquiola’s work often fuses traditional modes of production with modern design. Her “Fjord” armchair is a rethinking of a mid-twentieth-century Nordic chair, just as the “Landscape” tea set manufactured by Rosenthal is a new spin on a traditional object. Her colorful rugs that she designed in Spain are woven in workshops in India. She brings the handmade aspect of the classic rattan chair of the Philippines to her “Crinoline” chair design.

“Chasen” Hanging Lamp. Designed by Patricia Urquiola. Made by Flos S.p.A., Brescia, Italy. Designed in 2007. Aluminum, borosilicate glass, steel. Flos USA

“Patricia Urquiola: Between Craft and Industry” “Antibodi” Chaise. Designed by Patricia Urquiola, Designed 2006. Stainless steel, PVC, polyurethane, felt. Gift of Fury Design, Inc., Philadelphia

“Urquiola is part of a new generation of designers who take a humanistic approach to their work,” said Donna Corbin, The Louis C. Madeira IV Associate Curator of European Decorative Art. “She is known for exploring the possibilities of the artisanal through new technologies, to achieve something that feels familiar and evokes a sense of comfort.”

Among her most recent work on view is “Openest,” an innovative office system that is emblematic of her interest in prioritizing comfort. It was designed for Haworth offices in Michigan and was named “Best of” in the NeoCon Competition in 2014. Also featured in the form of photographs will be a number of Urquiola’s architectural commissions, including the award-winning 2005 Ideal House project, shown at the IMM Cologne international furnishings show in Germany, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Barcelona, Spain.

“Serena” Table Lamp. Designed by Patricia Urquiola. Made by Flos S.p.A., Brescia, Italy. Designed in 2015. Aluminum, polycarbonate. Flos USA

Collab is a group of design professionals and enthusiasts who support modern and contemporary design at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Its members experience design year-round through exhibition previews, design-inspired field trips, special access to the Museum’s world-class design collection, lectures, and opportunities to meet and learn from design curators and visionaries.

In conjunction with the exhibition, this year’s Collab Student Design Competition will challenge students at colleges and universities to create an object inspired by Urquiola’s exhibition. The goal is to design a piece of storage furniture or another functional object that can be the focal point of a room. On Monday, November 13, a panel of judges drawn from the region’s professional design community will gather at the Museum to identify the most innovative entries. The designs will be placed on display at the Museum through November 15, and visitors can cast their votes for the People’s Choice Award. Winners will be presented at the Collab Design Excellence Award lecture on Saturday, November 18.

This exhibition is made possible by Lisa Roberts and David Seltzer, Poor Richard’s Charitable Trust, and Haworth. Additional support is provided by Collab and other generous sponsors. The Student Design Competition is generously sponsored by Publicis Health Media.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) Names Honorees for the 2017 American Image Awards

The American Apparel & Footwear Association today announced its 2017 American Image Awards honorees: Andrew Rosen, Founder and CEO of Theory (Person of the Year); Marc Fisher Footwear (Company of the Year); Stuart Vevers of Coach, Inc. (Designer of the Year); Nick Graham (Fashion Maverick); and Ed Nardoza (Lifetime Achievement Award). Owned and operated by the AAFA, the American Image Awards began in 1977 to honor those who have exemplified leadership, excellence, and outstanding achievement in all sectors of the apparel and footwear industry, including education, design, manufacturing, and retail. Award-winning stage and screen actor Alan Cumming will emcee the gala. Presented on April 24 in New York City, the American Image Awards will benefit the Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI), part of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Foundation. This year’s ceremony will take place at the historic 583 Park Avenue venue in New York City.

Representing more than 1,000 world famous name brands, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) is the trusted public policy and political voice of the apparel and footwear industry, its management and shareholders, its four million U.S. workers, and its contribution of $361 billion in annual U.S. retail sales. AAFA stands at the forefront as a leader of positive change for the apparel and footwear industry and delivers a unified voice on key legislative and regulatory issues. The organization enables a collaborative forum to promote best practices and innovation and its comprehensive work ensures the continued success and growth of the apparel and footwear industry, its suppliers, and its customers.

The Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI) is a program of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and was created to nurture, elevate, and preserve garment production in New York City, ultimately connecting fashion designers to local manufacturing. The program includes: FMI Grant Fund offering matching grants to facilities committed to improving their services through innovation and technology; Apparel Skills Training Courses to generate a stronger workforce; a New York City Production Database on www.CFDA.com; and ongoing professional development sessions, industry events and collaborative partnerships.

Home & Tech/Design: Introducing Hestan NanoBond Cookware

Innovative Culinary Brand, Hestan, Launches First True Innovation In Stainless Steel Cookware In Over 100 Years

Beginning Immediately, NanoBond Will Be Available For Purchase Exclusively At Williams-Sonoma Stores And Online At www.williams-sonoma.com.

Hestan has launched Nanobond Cookware, a line of bonded stainless steel cookware uniquely engineered to last a lifetime, investing over $60 million in developing innovative technologies and kitchen products to elevate the culinary experience. Widely known for its high-end commercial kitchen equipment and premium residential outdoor grills, the company is applying their cutting-edge technology and innovative thinking to their first consumer cookware line, which promises to raise the bar among cookware brands and push the industry towards the future.

Innovative Culinary Brand, Hestan, Launches First True Innovation in Stainless Steel Cookware in Over 100 Years. Introducing Hestan NanoBond.

Since its introduction to the kitchen over 100 years ago, there’s been no significant innovation to stainless steel cookware – often known for tarnishing when exposed to high heat and easily scratching. For culinary professionals and enthusiasts alike, NanoBond brings the most advanced technology to the kitchen, delivering a full line of cookware that introduces modern science to timeless culinary craftsmanship with molecular titanium. NanoBond offers incredible resilience, lasting beauty, and the cleanability to maintain its brilliance for generations.

NanoBond leverages a patented titanium based nanotechnology that creates thousands of superdense nanolayers of titanium alloys bonded to stainless steel. This enables the cookware surface to be four times harder than typical stainless steel. The result is a chemical free, extremely durable cookware that’s resistant to staining, scratching, salt pitting and provides superior performance. Thanks to a pure aluminum core, it is also 35 percent more conductive than other aluminum-clad cookware.

Hestan innovations span the culinary category including Hestan Vineyards – well-respected small-batch wines developed in Napa Valley, Hestan Smart Cooking – a guided cooking system that will forever change the cooking experience, and the award-winning Hestan Commercial and Hestan Outdoor.

Immigrant Contributions To American Society Recognized With 2017 Vilcek Prizes

Visual Artist Nari Ward And Biophysicists Lily And Yuh-Nung Jan Receive $100,000 Vilcek Prizes

Winners Of Vilcek Prizes For Creative Promise Each Receive $50,000 Awards

The Vilcek Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the annual Vilcek Prizes, recognizing outstanding immigrant contributions to the American arts and sciences. The Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science will be awarded jointly to Chinese-born Lily and Yuh-Nung Jan, a collaborative research duo and professors of molecular physiology at the University of California, San Francisco. The Vilcek Prize in the Arts recognizes Jamaican-born Nari Ward, a New York-based visual artist known for found-object assemblage art. Each prize includes a $100,000 cash award. The prizewinners were selected by panels of experts in each field; they will be honored at an awards gala in New York City in April 2017.

“Like all great artists and scientists, these immigrant prizewinners challenge our very perceptions of the world,” said Rick Kinsel, president of the Vilcek Foundation. “Their works are attempts to understand fundamental questions and concepts in American society, from the neurological underpinnings of the self to the institution of democracy.”

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 immigrants to the United States and to foster an appreciation of the arts and sciences, was inspired by the couple’s respective careers in biomedical science and art history, as well as their personal experiences and appreciation for the opportunities they received as newcomers to this country. The foundation awards annual prizes to prominent immigrant biomedical scientists and artists and manages the Vilcek Foundation Art Collections, a promised gift from its founders.

This year, the Vilcek Prize in the Arts is awarded in the fine arts, marking the completion of an 11-year cycle through various disciplines in the arts and humanities. The recipient, Nari Ward, was born in Jamaica and immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 12. He is known for found-object assemblage artworks that invite both a public conversation and an intimate dialogue with the viewer around topics of race, immigration, and the Caribbean diaspora identity. His usage of found objects aims to highlight the history of a place and the urgency of the moment; his installation Naturalization Drawing Table features a large desk—built out of Plexiglas bodega barriers—covered with dense linear drawings made over copies of Immigration and Naturalization Service applications. On select days during the exhibition, viewers are invited to “apply” for naturalization by lining up and filling out an application, giving them a taste of the bureaucratic process of applying for citizenship. Ward has won several prestigious art prizes, including the Joyce Award, the Rome Prize, a Bessie Award, and several other awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.

Lily and Yuh-Nung Jan were both born in China and raised in Taiwan. They came to the U.S. as graduate students of physics at the California Institute of Technology but switched their focus to biology, in part inspired by their mentor, the renowned biophysicist Max Delbrück. Over the course of a collaborative career spanning over four decades, the husband-and-wife team has made many significant discoveries in the field of neuroscience, with far-reaching clinical implications. They isolated the gene encoding a protein that shuttles potassium ions across cell membranes, enabling the characterization of a molecular player important to functions as vital as maintaining heart rate and controlling muscle movement. Today, this type of ion channel is implicated in diseases such as epilepsy, ataxia, and hypertension. Simultaneously, the Jans identified genes and principles underlying the processes by which neurons acquire distinct identities, burgeon into thickets, and establish precise circuits; their work in this area may help unravel human diseases such as autism and schizophrenia. Currently, professors of molecular physiology at the University of California, San Francisco, the Jans have been honored with membership in the United States National Academy of Sciences, as well as with Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator awards.

The Vilcek Foundation also awards the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise, given to younger immigrants who have shown substantial talent and ability early in their careers. Each prize includes a $50,000 cash award. The winners in the fine arts are the following:

Iman Issa, born in Egypt, a conceptual artist, creates objects and installations in an attempt to address complex philosophical questions. Her original area of study was phenomenology, a branch of philosophy that examines the structures of consciousness that organize subjective experience—or, put another way, how we take meaning from things we individually experience. Later, Issa realized that art allowed for nuanced exploration of those topics, and continued her philosophical questioning through art. She is particularly interested in monuments and memorials—aesthetic forms tasked with a function that holds a shifting relevance based on their location in time and relationship to history. Her work has been shown at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the 8th Berlin Biennial, and the New Museum, and she has received the DAAD 2017 Artist in Residence Award, the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award, and the HNF-MACBA Award.

Meleko Mokgosi, born in Botswana, is a slow, considered painter; behind every painting he produces are hours of research, reading, and conversations with people. Mokgosi is interested in depictions of Africa and its people; he believes that the widespread misrepresentation of Africa and Africans has done a violence to the people of the continent, and through his art he attempts a representation that is fair and just. He is deeply concerned with politics and seeks to understand and illuminate the relations of power that shape people, families, villages, regions, and nations. Mokgosi has been named the recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters Grant and the Jarl and Pamela Mohn Award, and he has shown his work at Art Basel, the Armory, the Hammer Museum, and the Whitney Museum.