Categories
The Paul Manship Medal
In 1920, the Art Directors Club's founder, Earnest Elmo Calkins, and others like him in New York’s early advertising and design community, believed that creativity in service of communication—creativity with function—deserved its own place in the world. They believed that craft, beauty and intelligence should not be limited to galleries or museums, but should move through every part of our culture.
So they formed an organization to protect and promote that idea.
They called it The Art Directors Club.
To mark its founding, Calkins invited a young sculptor named Paul Manship to design the Club’s medal and symbol. Manship, who had just returned from studying classical sculpture in Europe, would go on to create the iconic statue of Prometheus at Rockefeller Center—a lasting symbol of human ambition and imagination.
But Manship’s medal was more than our first award. It became a statement: that the work we do can be both practical and profound. That commercial creativity, when done with care and conviction, can be the best of our culture, in itself.
This year, ADC is bringing back the Paul Manship Medal—to honor those whose work redefines our profession. Work that doesn’t follow the times, but helps set the direction of what’s to come.
- Brian Collins, Art Directors Club President
About
The Paul Manship Medal celebrates individuals who, much like the legendary Paul Manship, don't just participate in the advertising or design creative professions — they redefine them. This award recognizes those who are actively shaping the future of their professions with groundbreaking contributions and a forward-thinking vision. The ideal recipient of the Manship Medal is an advertising or design creative professional who:
1. Acts as a Catalyst for Change: They're not just reacting to trends; they're actively defining and shaping the future trajectory of advertising and/or design. Their work clearly illustrates where their profession is headed.
2. Demonstrates Foresight and Innovation: They consistently exhibit a forward-thinking approach, pushing boundaries and exploring exciting new possibilities within advertising or design.
3. Embodies a Lasting Legacy: Their contributions aren't fleeting; they hold the potential for enduring influence on their professions, much like Paul Manship's own lasting impact.
4. Made the Most Significant Contribution in the Past Year: The primary focus for this award is on their impactful work within the last twelve months.
The Medal itself will be presented in a sleek, clear cube.
The Paul Manship Medal recipient will be selected by the ADC Jury Presidents and will be celebrated at the ADC 105th Annual Awards Ceremony in NYC.
Nominees will be asked to provide the following:
1. Name
2. Job Title
3. Company (If Independent, we'll ask that 'Independent' be written in this field)
4. Headshot
5. A portfolio of 5 projects created within the last 12 months. Each project requires project media, a project description, and an explanation of the nominee’s role in the creation of the project
6. Provide a reply for the following:
- In what ways has the nominee advanced the field of advertising or design in the past year, demonstrating a clear vision for its future?
- Considering Paul Manship's legacy enduring quality, and lasting impact, how does the nominee's body of work or career trajectory exemplify these qualities?
- Please provide the nominee’s biography.
Note: This award is open to nominees or to individuals who wish to nominate themselves. The fee to enter is $300.
PMM-101
Paul Manship Medal
This year’s awards will include the presentation of the Paul Manship Medal. Initially known as the Manship Medallion, the accolade was the original ADC competition award created by famed sculptor Paul Manship (1885-1966), best-known for his monumental gilded rendering of Prometheus, permanently installed at the heart of Rockefeller Center. The Paul Manship Medal has now been reimagined as an enterable category, recognizing a single advertising or design creative professional who best acts as a catalyst for change, demonstrates foresight and innovation, embodies a lasting legacy, and made the most significant contribution in the past year.
