Laya and Jerome B. Wiesner Student Art Awards

Source: https://arts.mit.edu/camit/awards/wiesner/ Parent: https://arts.mit.edu/camit/

The Laya and Jerome B. Wiesner Student Art Awards

The Laya and Jerome B. Wiesner Student Art Awards are presented annually to individual students (undergraduate or graduate) or MIT groups (.i.e., living groups, student organizations) for outstanding arts-related contributions to the MIT community. Up to four awards are made annually. An endowment fund provides a $2,000 award to each recipient.

Nominees should display a strong commitment to the arts as reflected in their participation in and leadership contributions to arts-related activities and organizations at MIT; the impact of those contributions and achievements on the MIT community; and the potential of their contributions to have a lasting impact at MIT.

MIT community members who are considering nominating individual student candidates based on significant contributions to a single student-led arts organization are encouraged to consider nominating the organization as an entity in recognition of the collective contributions and involvement of an organization’s leadership team and members.

Established by the Council for the Arts at MIT in 1979, these awards honor past MIT President Jerome B. Wiesner and Laya Wiesner for their commitment to the arts at MIT.

Nomination letters may be a maximum of 4500 characters (approximately 700-900 words). Nominees may have a maximum of three nominators total (in a combined letter or in separate nomination letters). If a student is nominated by a peer, we recommend (but do not require) that they also request a nomination from a faculty or staff advisor.

For more information, please contact council-arts@mit.edu.

Submit a Nomination for the 2026 Wiesner Award before March 13

2025 Wiesner Award recipient Vivian Chinoda '25. Credit Jack Field Studio.

2025

Emi Grady-Willis ’25, Theater Arts and Computer Science and Engineering

Ana Schon, Graduate Student, Media Arts and Sciences, MIT Media Lab Opera of the Future group

Vivian Clarissah Chinoda ’25, Business Analytics

Ezekiel Daye ’25, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Physics, Minor in Music

Read an article about the 2025 Wiesner Student Art Award recipients.

2024 Wiesner Awards winner Wuming Theater Club's spring production of "Rhinoceros in Love," courtesy of the artist.

2024

Sophia Chen ’24, Mechanical Engineering

Michael Peters PhD ’24, Physics

Alan Zhu ’23 MEng ’24, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Wuming Theater Club

Read an article about the 2024 Wiesner Student Art Award recipients.

2023

Kidist Adamu ’23, Computer Science and Writing**

Cici Mao BS ’22 MS ’23, Aerospace Engineering

Tristan Shin ’23, Music and Mathematics Major, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Minor

Tianyuan (Margaret) Zheng ’23, Mathematics and Computer Science Major\ Music Minor

Read an article about the 2023 Wiesner Student Art Award recipients.

2022

Julia Chatterjee ’22, Mechanical Engineering/ Sustainable Design

Montse Garza ’22, Theater Arts and Computer Science & Engineering

Stuti Khandwala ’23, Biological Engineering and Computer Science & Engineering

Karyn Nakamura ’23, Art and Design

Read an article about the 2022 Wiesner Student Art Award recipients.

Image: Kevin Costello. Courtesy of the artist.

2021

Kevin Costello ’21, Mathematics and Music

Rian Flynn ’21, Physics and Theatre Arts

Gabriel “Tony” Terrasa ’21, Mechanical Engineering and Music

Luisa Apolaya Torres ’21, Mechanical Engineering

Read an article about the 2021 Wiesner Student Art Award recipients.

Talia Khan ’20 Materials Science and Engineering/Music

2020

Allan and Danny Gelman ’20, Computer Science and Comparative Media Studies

Talia Khan ’20, Materials Science and Engineering and Music

Margaret Kosten ’20, Mechanical Engineering and Theater

Olivia Yao ’20, Mechanical Engineering

Read an article about the 2020 Wiesner Student Art Award recipients.

Image: Amalia Lee. Courtesy of the artist.

2019

Amalia Lee ’19, Materials Science and Engineering\ Pip Mothersill G, Media Lab (Object-Based Media Group)\ Garrett Souza ’19, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science\ Gary Zhexi Zhang G, ACT

Read an article about the 2019 Wiesner Student Art Award recipients.

Aruro Ui. Tal Scully playing Dockdaisy in MTA's production of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. Photo by Jonathan Sachs

2018

Laura Serejo Genes G, ACT\ Adam Jedidiah Haar Horowitz G, Media Lab\ Julia Rue ’18, Mechanical Engineering\ Tal Scully ’18, Physics

Read more about the 2018 Wiesner Student Art Award recipients.

Jake Gunter's lighting design for 'Small Infinities.' Isaac Newton in the foreground, played by Ben Spiro '17, and Hannah Smith, Newton’s mother is in the background, played by Sabrine Iqbal '17. Photo: Jake Gunter.

2017

Jacob Gunter ’17, Course 21E (Humanities and Engineering)\ Nathan Gutierrez ’17, Course 6 (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science)\ Rachel Osmundsen ’17, Course 3 (Materials Science and Engineering)\ Hallie Voulgaris ’17, Course 18 (Mathematics)

Read more about the 2017 Wiesner Student Art Award recipients.

Angel Chen, Nesting, Installation (one way mirror, plexiglass, water, paper), 2015. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.

2016

Angel Chia Ling Chen G, Course 4 (Art, Culture and Technology)\ Samantha Fomon ’16, Course 8 (Physics)\ Samantha Harper ’16,  Courses 1 and 21M (Civil and Environmental Engineering and Theater Arts)

Read more about the 2016 Student Art Award winners, including the Wiesner Student Art Award recipients.

Here-There, Kenneth Noland, 1985.

2015-1980

A list of past recipients of the Laya and Jerome B. Wiesner Student Art Awards, 2015-1980.

Includes recipient name, award area, and course.