The Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Prize in the Visual Arts is awarded to MIT students for excellence in a body of artistic work. All currently registered MIT students (graduate and undergraduate) are eligible to apply.

The Schnitzer Prize was established in 1996 through an endowment from Harold and Arlene Schnitzer of Portland, Oregon. Harold Schnitzer, a real estate investor, graduated from MIT in 1944 with a degree in metallurgy.

Up to four prizes are awarded: three graduate student prizes, accompanied by an award of $5,000 to each recipient, and up to one undergraduate prize accompanied by an award of $2,500. The Selection Committee, comprised of members of the Council for the Arts at MIT and members of the MIT visual arts community, evaluates applications based on the level of excellence displayed in the applicant’s body of work.

Recipients of the 2022 Schnitzer Prize were featured in a Wiesner Student Art Gallery group exhibition, both digital and in person, in May 2022.

More information at arts.mit.edu/schnitzer