The Elie Wiesel Foundation Announces Winners of the 2026 Mark Podwal Prize in Visual Art

NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Elie Wiesel Foundation is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Mark Podwal Prize in Visual Art, celebrating artists whose work powerfully explores Jewish identity, memory, heritage, resilience, and human connection. The winners were selected by a distinguished jury from a wide and diverse pool of submissions and will be honored in an exhibition together with selected works by Mark Podwal opening to the public April 17, 2026, at the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, Hebrew Union College in New York City.

The prize — established in collaboration with the Podwal family and inspired by the deep creative partnership between Mark Podwal, one of America's most distinguished Jewish artists, and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel — encourages artists to respond to themes central to Jewish life and culture through visual art.

Ariel Podwal, son of Mark Podwal, said, "This award honors my father and his work with Elie and Marion Wiesel to celebrate Jewish life and confront antisemitism through word and image. Continuing that work with their son Elisha Wiesel and The Foundation carries our parents' shared legacy into the next generation."

LizAnn Eisen, Executive Director of The Elie Wiesel Foundation, said, "The Mark Podwal Prize affirms that art carries both joy and responsibility. By honoring these artists, we celebrate Jewish creativity as a living force — one that invites us to remember, to embrace complexity, and to move forward with purpose and hope."

2026 Prize Winners

• First Prize: Allison Zuckerman, "Even a Flood Could Not Wash Away the Flame"
• Second Prize: Joan Linder, "Titled"
• Third Prize: Max Bauman, "Emergency Golem"

Honorable Mention

• Joshua Meyer, "Eight Approaches"

The exhibition preview press dates begin April 6, 2026, and the exhibition opens on April 17, 2026, and will remain on view through June 25, 2026, offering the public a rich opportunity to engage with these compelling visual interpretations of continuity, resilience, and narrative, together with selected works by Mark Podwal.

Allison Zuckerman, first place winner, on the role of art in expressing Jewish resilience: "Through this work, I sought to give form to the enduring strength of Jewish communities — how we remember, rebuild, and find hope. Art allows us to speak to resilience in ways that words alone cannot."

About the Mark Podwal Prize in Visual Art
The Mark Podwal Prize invites artists from across the United States to explore themes of heritage, memory, resilience, and human connection. Inspired by Podwal and Wiesel's decades-long collaboration — which gave powerful visual voice to Jewish history, faith, and hope — the prize underscores the role of art in expressing both individual and collective narratives. Submissions in any visual medium that thoughtfully reflect these themes are eligible, and winners receive monetary awards and recognition at the annual exhibition. Submissions for the 2028 Podwal Prize will open in May 2027.

About The Elie Wiesel Foundation
The Elie Wiesel Foundation was established in 1987 by Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and his wife Marion to promote memory, tolerance and equality through programs that inspire ethical reflection, youth development, and understanding. Guided by Wiesel's belief in moral responsibility and human dignity, The Foundation supports youth-focused initiatives such as the Prize in Ethics Essay Contest, champions human rights, and sponsors educational centers and cultural exchanges that promote acceptance, equality, and cross-community engagement. Today, The Foundation continues Elie Wiesel's legacy by cultivating moral leadership and empowering changemakers whose work reflects the enduring values of compassion, tolerance, and shared humanity.

About the Heller Museum
The Dr. Bernard Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City is a dynamic university museum dedicated to showcasing contemporary artists of all backgrounds whose work explores Jewish identity, history, culture, and values. The Museum presents thoughtfully curated exhibitions that interpret core Jewish texts and traditions while engaging with pressing cultural, social, and historical themes — from communal justice and ritual innovation to broader human experience — inviting visitors to deepen their understanding of Jewish heritage through the visual arts. In addition to its compelling temporary shows, the Heller Museum serves as a resource for students and scholars, offers traveling exhibitions to venues across North America, and fosters dialogue about art's role in enriching both Jewish life and cross-cultural understanding.

Contact: LizabethAnn R. Eisen
Executive Director
The Elie Wiesel Foundation
[email protected]
www.eliewieselfoundation.org

Media Contact: Helen Dunn
Hiltzik Strategies
[email protected]

Contact: Jean Bloch Rosensaft
Director, Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, Hebrew Union College, New York
[email protected]
www.huc.edu/hellermuseum

SOURCE The Elie Wiesel Foundation