Giving and Receiving

A riveting memoir of escape from communist authoritarianism to a life in the arts in America.

“There was no freedom here, no security, very little opportunity, and altogether too much corruption…”

Marica Vilcek was just twelve years old when the Communists took over her country. Her prospects were curtailed, as a result, and when her brother vanished, apparently escaping to Western Europe, her family became blacklisted, reducing her hope for a future career in the sciences and arts.

But in spite of many obstacles to advancing, Marica was determined to earn a degree, and managed to find work at the Slovak National Gallery. She tiptoed around Party members, careful to never reveal her family name.

In 1962, Marica married Jan Vilcek, a virologist who shared her disdain of the Communist Party. The two became determined to escape the country. Their dangerous and harrowing journey eventually landed them in New York City where she began a thirty-year career at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Jan became a leading immunologist and faculty emeritus at the New York University School of Medicine.

In 2000, Marica and Jan established the Vilcek Foundation to raise awareness of immigrant contributions to the arts, sciences, and culture of the United States. The Vilceks have become leading philanthropists in the arts and humanities. Their foundation has awarded more than $15 million in prizes and grants in alignment with its mission. The Vilcek Foundation Prizes are awarded annually to celebrate immigrant artists, scientists, and leaders who advocate for immigrant rights.