Vivian Maier Scholarship Fund
Created in memory of the acclaimed Chicago street photographer, the scholarship aims to provide opportunities and resources for female students.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), one of the nation’s leading art and design schools, announced the establishment of the endowed Vivian Maier Scholarship Fund. The need-based scholarship was made possible by generous donations from Ravine Pictures’ John Maloof and Charlie Siskel, and art gallerist Howard Greenberg.
Because Vivian Maier’s work has changed lives—John’s in particular—we are forever indebted to her. That is why a share of the proceeds from sales of her work and the film Finding Vivian Maier are used to create an endowed and permanent scholarship—the Vivian Maier Scholarship—at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, an institution that was important to Vivian. Every year, young photographers will receive financial assistance allowing them to pursue their art with some of the economic burden lifted, thanks to Vivian Maier. This will be another one of Vivian’s gifts to the world and another part of her legacy.
“We are thrilled and grateful for the donation we received from John Maloof, Charlie Siskel, and Howard Greenberg to establish the Vivian Maier Scholarship Fund,” said SAIC alumna Ellen Sandor (MFA 1975), Life Trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago, member of SAIC’s Board of Governors and Chair of the Advisory Board of the Gene Siskel Film Center. “With the establishment of this scholarship and our relationship with Ravine Pictures and the Howard Greenberg Gallery, emerging female artists at SAIC will have significant opportunities to pursue their passions for years to come.”
Vivian Maier is considered one of the greatest street photographers of the 20th century. She was an undiscovered artist until her death, when more than 100,000 photographs, largely capturing life in Chicago’s streets and suburbs in the 1950s and 60s, were uncovered by John Maloof. Ravine Pictures filmmakers Maloof and Siskel sought to capture her artistic legacy in the documentary, Finding Vivian Maier.
The film had a Chicago premiere with a private screening at the Gene Siskel Film Center on March 30, and was released nationwide on April 4, 2014.
“Vivian Maier’s contribution to photography is even more significant because her work was only discovered by chance after her death,” said Siskel, co-director of Finding Vivian Maier and the nephew of the late Gene Siskel. “With the establishment of the Vivian Maier Scholarship Fund, SAIC, John Maloof, Howard Greenberg, and I aim to provide creative resources to capture and develop talent of emerging female artists so Vivian’s legacy lives on through the work of the students.”
To contribute to the Vivian Maier Scholarship Fund, please contact Katy Solomon, SAIC’s Associate Director of Individual Giving at ksolomon@saic.edu or 312.499.4193.
ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO (SAIC)
A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees and post-baccalaureate programs to nearly 3,200 students from around the globe. SAIC also enables adults, high school students, middle school students, and children to flourish in a variety of courses, workshops, certificate programs, and camps through its Continuing Studies program. Located in the heart of Chicago, SAIC has an educational philosophy built upon an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, giving students unparalleled opportunities to develop their creative and critical abilities, while working with renowned faculty who include many of the leading practitioners in their fields. SAIC’s resources include the Art Institute of Chicago and its new Modern Wing; numerous special collections and programming venues provide students with exceptional exhibitions, screenings, lectures, and performances. For more information, please visit saic.edu.