The Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Prize in the Visual Arts was established in 1996 through an endowment from Harold and Arlene Schnitzer of Portland, Oregon. Schnitzer, a real estate investor, graduated from MIT in 1944 with a degree in metallurgy.
The Schnitzer Prize is presented to current MIT students, undergraduate and graduate, for excellence in a body of artistic work. Students submit an artistic portfolio for consideration, and the generous endowment awards first place $5,000, second prize $3,000, third prize $2,000, and honorable mention $1,000. Recipients also have the opportunity to display their work in a joint exhibition in the Wiesner Student Art Gallery, located on the second floor of Stratton Student Center (W20).
For more information, please contact council-arts@mit.edu.
First Prize: Andrea Ling G, Media Lab
Second Prize: Nicolás Kisic Aguirre G, ACT
Third Prize: Brian Huang ’18, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Honorable Mention: Gary Zhexi Zhang G, ACT
Read more about the 2018 Schnitzer Prize recipients.
Andrea Ling’s Girl in Wood Frock.
Watch a video about the 2018 recipients of the Schnitzer Prize.
First Prize: Ani Liu G, Course 4 (Media Arts and Sciences)
Second Prize: Angel Chia Ling Chen G, Course 4 (Art, Culture and Technology)
Third Prize: Jessica Sarah Rinland G, Course 4 (Art, Culture and Technology)
Honorable Mention: Edwina Portocarrero G, Course 4 (Media Arts and Sciences)
Honorable Mention: Anne Marie Graziano G, Course 4 (Architecture)
Read more about the 2017 Schnitzer Prize recipients.
Ani Liu’s Mind Controlled Spermatozoa.
Watch a video about the 2018 recipients of the Schnitzer Prize.
First Prize: Joshuah Jest G, Course 4 (Art, Culture and Technology)
Second Prize (tie): Laura Perovich G, Course 4 (Media Arts and Sciences)
Second Prize (tie): Emily Tow G, Course 2 (Mechanical Engineering)
Third Prize: Chris Kerich G, Course 21W (Comparative Media Studies/Writing)
Honorable Mention: Qiuying Lai ’17, Course 6 (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science)
Honorable Mention: Deniz Tortum G, Course 21W (Comparative Media Studies/Writing)
Read more about the 2016 Schnitzer Prize recipients.
Installation of photographs by Qiuying Lai in the Wiesner Student Art Gallery.
First Prize: Tsz Wai Alan Kwan G
Second Prize: Elaine Kung ’15
Third Prize: Lan Li G
Honorable Mention: Jia Zhang G
Read more about the 2015 Schnitzer Prize recipients.
Alan Kwan’s Shadow Donation.
First Prize: Anne Macmillan G
Second Prize: Sophia Brueckner G
Third Prize: Floor van de Velde G
Honorable Mention: Alison Malouf ’14
Read more about the 2014 Schnitzer Prize recipients.
Anne Macmillan’s Boxes for Rocks, photograph by Thery Mislick.
First Prize: Jie Qi G
Second Prize: Rizal Muslimin G
Third Prize (tie): Floor van de Velde G
Third Prize (tie): Amit Zoran G
Honorable Mention: Xiao Xiao G
Jie Qi’s Dandelions, photograph by Jason Pastorello.
First Prize: Matthew Everett Lawson G
Second Prize: Narda Alvarado G
Third Prize: Nathan Lachenmyer G
Honorable Mention: Emily Tow ’12
Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Anne Watkins G
2012 Schnitzer Exhibition, installation photograph by Greg Kuperman.
First Prize: Sarah Witt G
Second Prize: Otto Ng G
Third Prize (tie): Hannah Perner-Wilson G
Third Prize (tie): Sohin Hwang G
2011 Schnitzer Exhibition poster, designed by Sarah Witt.
First Prize: Richard The G
Second Prize: Jaekyung Jung G
Third Prize: Sam Kronick ’10
Richard The’s Appeel, photograph by Willy Sengewald.
First Prize: Matthew Mazzotta G
Second Prize: Jay Silver G
Third Prize: Jess Wheelock G
Honorable Mention: Leah Brunetto ’12
2009 Schnitzer Exhibition poster, designed by Matthew Mazzotta.
First Prize: Caitlin Berrigan G
Second Prize: Mary Hale G
Third Prize (tie): Sabrina Kleinenhammans G
Third Prize (tie): Talieh Rohani G
2008 Schnitzer Exhibition poster, designed by Caitlin Berrigan.
First Prize: Hope Ginsburg G
Second Prize (tie): Katherine James G
Second Prize (tie): Neri Oxman G
Honorable Mention: Stephanie Hsu G
Hope Ginsburg’s Sponge project.
First Prize: Lira Nikolovska G
Second Prize: Oliver Lutz G
Third Prize: Azra Aksamija G
Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Dahmus G
Honorable Mention: Rene Chen ’07
2006 Schnitzer Exhibition poster, designed by Lira Nikolovska.
First Prize: Luis Berrios-Negron G
Second Prize: Andrew Brooks G
Third Prize: Cecilia Ramos ’05
Honorable Mention: Barry Kudrowitz G
Luis Berríos-Negrón’s Seth Enslow doing Playa Azul Peru, 2003.
First Prize: Christopher Coryn Kempster G
Second Prize: Lisa Bidlingmeyer G
Third Prize: Neils Cosman ’04
Coryn Kempster’s Take Off My Tie.
First Prize: Moneta Ho G
Second Prize: Nadya Direkova G
Third Prize: Joyce Wang ’04
Moneto Ho’s From the N Train at Dusk (detail).
First Prize: Jacquelyn A. Martino G
Second Prize: Augustine M. Urbas G
Third Prize: Cecilia Ramos ’05
Honorable Mention: Nicole A. Vlado ’02
2002 Schnitzer Exhibition poster, designed by Jacquelyn A. Martino.
First Prize: Marin K. Clark G
Second Prize: Sloan A. Kulper ’03
Third Prize: Changhuei Yang G
Marin Clark’s Greece 2000.
First Prize: Hiep Nguyen G
Second Prize: Vitaly J. Napadow G
Third Prize: Changhuei Yang G
2000 Schnitzer Exhibition poster with detail of Hiep Nguyen’s A Small Bird, 2000.
First Prize: Richard R. Fletcher G
Second Prize: Matthew D. Hollingworth G
Third Prize: Vince E. Carballo ’01
Colombian Fishermen (detail), photograph by Richard R. Fletcher.
First Prize: Eto S. Otitigbe ’99
Second Prize: Kevin Simmons ’98
Third Prize: Kim Eng ’99
Eto Otitigbe ’99, 1998 Schnitzer First Prize Recipient, photograph by Gabor Csányi.
First Prize: Francisco Ortiz G
Second Prize: Benjamin Matteo ’97
Third Prize: Xingheng Wang ’99
Francisco Ortiz’s Women.
First Prize: Christopher Moore G
Second Prize: Brant Chamberlain ’97
Third Prize: Eto Otitigbe ’99
Christopher Moore’s Reflected Grid Vase (detail).