The Rieger Graham Prize
For a Three-month Classical Design Fellowship at The American Academy in Rome

The purpose of the Rieger Graham Prize is to advance the career and professional skills of a recent graduate or practitioner of architecture. Applicants must demonstrate interest and training in the classical design tradition and the continuity of knowledge it embodies. The prize will be awarded once every two years by a jury appointed by the ICAA.

The centerpiece of the prize is a three-month Classical Design Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome, the premier American overseas center for independent study and research in the fine arts and humanities. The total award will include Academy fees, travel allotment and award stipend. The proposed three-month stay must occur between September of the prize year and May of the following year.

The prize is open to United States citizens with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, Master of Architecture degree, or Master of Fine Arts degree prior to the start of the fellowship. 

Context 

The Charles Rieger and John D. Graham Architectural Art Prize results from a bequest by the late Charles Rieger, Professor of Architecture at Columbia University.

Rieger bequeathed to the Institute a painting by a friend and mentor, artist John D. Graham (female portrait, Aurea Mediocritas, 1952) and stipulated that the painting be sold to endow a prize in the field of classical architecture.


Award categories
Three-month Classical Design Fellowship at The American Academy in Rome
Winners from
Stephanie Jazmines
Brendan Hart
Pauline Marie Zeren
Daniel Heath
Jana K. Vandergoot
Michael Harris
Tiffany Abernathy

Possesso Map, by Brendan Hart

Castel Sant'Angelo, by Brendan Hart

Il Gesu, by Brendan Hart

Lungotevere, by Brendan Hart

Campidoglio, by Brendan Hart

Deadline & Application

Submissions 

The application deadline for the 2020 Rieger Graham Prize is December 9, 2019. 

Application Documents

The applicant must submit a proposal for a project involving research, documentation and design, showing how the applicant sees fit to explore Rome in the best way possible for his/her career development. The foremost priority in choosing the Prize recipient will be the project’s link to the opportunity to learn from Rome and its environs in situ.

Application documents must include: 

  • Cover letter
  • Current resume or CV describing educational credentials and related professional experience
  • Statement of Intent — a proposal not to exceed three pages in length, which describes how the applicant see fit to explore Rome in the best way possible for his/her career development
  • One (1) letter of recommendation from teachers or professionals
  • Samples from past work, (no more than ten (10) images, photographs, or drawings) whether accomplished in school or in the field as a practicing professional


All submission materials should be submitted by email to [email protected] Hard copy applications will not be accepted.

Criteria

In addition to the merits of the project proposal and personal credentials, the jury will look for exceptional and demonstrable skill as measured by samples submitted from past work.

The jury will judge such talent against the complementary Vitruvian ideals of strength, function and beauty as revealed by both the conception of the design samples and their manual execution.

Theoretical as well as practical merit will thus determine the selected fellow.

Requirements

After completing study in Rome, the Prize winner will be required to submit some tangible or publishable result from his/her experience, which will be the property of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art and which can be featured in Institute publications and/or exhibitions as applicable.

The winner’s encounter with the classical past must be documented through finished drawings or through other presentation media of designs or documentation which explore the lessons learned from Rome.

All work from the Prize must be completed within six months of the end of the residency in Rome.

Eligibility

Candidates must have received a four or five year Bachelor of Architecture degree, Master of Architecture degree, or Master of Fine Arts degree prior to the fellowship. The prize will be limited to United States citizens.

Timetable

The proposed three-month stay must begin between September of the prize year and May of the following year.

Please Inquire 

Contact Edith Platten ([email protected]) or call 212-730-9646, ext. 113 with questions.