John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Encyclopedia
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim
in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922. The organization awards Guggenheim Fellowship
s to professionals who have demonstrated exceptional ability by publishing a significant body of work in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the creative arts, excluding the performing arts. The roll of Fellows includes numerous Nobel
Laureates, Pulitzer
and other prize winners.
Fellowships are intended to provide gifted and skilled people the opportunity to work with as much creative freedom as possible. They are not available to support training or immediate postgraduate work. Fellowships last for between six and twelve months (occasionally longer). The average award amount in 2003 was US$36,000 to 221 fellows. The Foundation supports only individuals. It does not make grants to institutions or organizations. According to Foundation president Edward Hirsch
, between 1925 and 2005 the Foundation granted close to $240 million in Fellowships to more than 15,500 individuals. The Foundation selects its Fellows on the basis of two separate competitions, one for the United States and Canada, the other for Latin America and the Caribbean. Competitors submit applications to one of the two Committees of Selection, consisting of about six distinguished scholars or artists.
In 2004 the Foundation awarded 185 United States and Canadian Fellowships for a total of $6,912,000 (an average grant of $37,362). There were 3,268 applicants. In the same year it awarded 36 Latin American and Caribbean Fellowships for a total of $1,188,000 (an average grant of $33,000). There were 819 applicants.
The Guggenheim art museums are funded separately by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
.
Simon Guggenheim
Simon Guggenheim was an American businessman, politician, and philanthropist.-Life:He was the son of Meyer Guggenheim and Barbara Guggenheim, and was the younger brother of Daniel Guggenheim and Solomon R...
in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922. The organization awards Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
s to professionals who have demonstrated exceptional ability by publishing a significant body of work in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the creative arts, excluding the performing arts. The roll of Fellows includes numerous Nobel
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
Laureates, Pulitzer
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
and other prize winners.
Fellowships are intended to provide gifted and skilled people the opportunity to work with as much creative freedom as possible. They are not available to support training or immediate postgraduate work. Fellowships last for between six and twelve months (occasionally longer). The average award amount in 2003 was US$36,000 to 221 fellows. The Foundation supports only individuals. It does not make grants to institutions or organizations. According to Foundation president Edward Hirsch
Edward Hirsch
Edward Hirsch is an American poet and critic who wrote a national bestseller about reading poetry. He has published eight books of poems, including The Living Fire: New and Selected Poems , which brings together thirty-five years of work. He is president of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial...
, between 1925 and 2005 the Foundation granted close to $240 million in Fellowships to more than 15,500 individuals. The Foundation selects its Fellows on the basis of two separate competitions, one for the United States and Canada, the other for Latin America and the Caribbean. Competitors submit applications to one of the two Committees of Selection, consisting of about six distinguished scholars or artists.
In 2004 the Foundation awarded 185 United States and Canadian Fellowships for a total of $6,912,000 (an average grant of $37,362). There were 3,268 applicants. In the same year it awarded 36 Latin American and Caribbean Fellowships for a total of $1,188,000 (an average grant of $33,000). There were 819 applicants.
The Guggenheim art museums are funded separately by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1937 by philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim and artist Hilla von Rebay. The first museum established by the foundation was the "Museum of Non-Objective Art", which was housed in rented space on Park Avenue in New York....
.