Giving and Receiving: Memoirs of an Immigrant Curator and Philanthropist
Marica Vilcek shares her story in a new memoir, from her early life and escape from Czechoslovakia to her 30-year career at The Met, and the decision to create the Vilcek Foundation to champion immigrants in the arts.
Giving and Receiving: Memoirs of an Immigrant Curator and Philanthropist tells the incredible life story of art historian Marica Vilcek as she shares the exceptional circumstances that shaped the mission of the Vilcek Foundation, which she and her husband Jan established 25 years ago to highlight immigrant contributions to the arts and sciences in the United States.
Born in war-torn Czechoslovakia, Marica’s career aspirations were curtailed due to government corruption and the blacklisting of her family, but she was determined to build a better life elsewhere. In the fall of 1964, Marica and her husband, Jan Vilcek, defected from their home country, arriving in New York City the next year. While Jan started his research position at the New York University School of Medicine, Marica volunteered for the Brooklyn Museum before securing a position at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Over her 30-year tenure at the institution, Marica rose to Associate Curator in Charge of the Accessions and Catalogue Department, where she established a new level of quality and care that helped solidify the importance of curatorial work.
“Art objects are, after all, the heart and soul of the museum,” Marica notes. “Curators, the keepers and custodians of these art objects, are responsible for presenting these works to the public by way of exhibitions, publications, and didactic materials, and in order to do so they must have comprehensive information about each of the objects they work with."
The Vilceks have prioritized community support throughout their careers. At Marica’s encouragement, she and Jan started the Vilcek Foundation to support other immigrants, artists, and scientists in the United States.
“Jan and I came to realize that our greatest pleasure in life had always been in helping others,” Marica says. “Whether I was helping curators with art-historical research, assisting newly arrived immigrants with adjusting to life in America, or encouraging my interns to discover the joy of museum work, I had always felt best when aiding, sharing, and mentoring… So we discussed starting a foundation.”
Since its creation in 2000, the Vilcek Foundation has awarded more than $17 million in prizes and grants to institutions and individuals aligned with its mission, in addition to the over $330 million in individual giving from the Vilceks.
Marica Vilcek still serves as an Honorary Trustee of The Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the NYU Institute of Fine Arts. Giving and Receiving was co-authored by award-winning biographer, curator, and art historian Justin Spring.
To order Giving and Receiving, visit bookshop.org.
Learn more about the Vilcek Foundation at vilcek.org.
