Anchorage Museum’s Visionary Curator Honored with $100,000 Prize for Pioneering Art Curation

The Vilcek Foundation has named Francesca Du Brock, chief curator at the Anchorage Museum in Alaska, as the recipient of the prestigious Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History. This award recognizes museum professionals and art historians in the United States who set the standard for curatorial excellence and cultural stewardship.

The $100,000 prize is a tribute to Marica Vilcek, co-founder and vice chair of the Vilcek Foundation, whose legacy spans decades of leadership in the arts, philanthropy, and museum curation. Her distinguished career includes an influential tenure at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and an enduring trusteeship with the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University.

Francesca Du Brock has been recognized for her innovative and inclusive approach to curation, bridging art, education, and community engagement. With academic credentials from Harvard Graduate School of Education, San Francisco Art Institute, and Bowdoin College, she has demonstrated a profound commitment to fostering dialogue through exhibitions and museum programming.

Her impact extends globally—she is a member of the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM) and was recently named a 2025 Fellow of the Center for Curatorial Leadership.

The Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History was first introduced in 2024, with its inaugural recipients—Monica Bincsik, Wolfram Koeppe, and Pierre Terjanian—honored for their groundbreaking contributions to The Met, where Marica Vilcek herself spent over 30 years.

As the Vilcek Foundation marks its 25th anniversary in 2025, it is awarding an unprecedented 14 prizes, totaling $950,000 across multiple disciplines. Alongside the Marica Vilcek Prize, the foundation will recognize achievements in literary scholarship, biomedical science, visual arts, and curatorial work.

Founded in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia, the Vilcek Foundation champions immigrant contributions to the United States while fostering appreciation for the arts and sciences. The foundation has awarded over $15 million in grants and prizes, amplifying the impact of visionary professionals across diverse fields.

As Francesca Du Brock joins the ranks of esteemed honorees, her work stands as a testament to the power of curation in shaping cultural narratives and deepening public engagement with the arts.