The Catherine W. Bishir Prize
The Bishir Prize, named for longtime member and influential scholar Catherine W. Bishir, is awarded
annually to the scholarly article from a juried North American publication that has made the most
significant contribution to the study of vernacular architecture and cultural landscapes. In judging the
nominated articles, the jurors look for an article that is based on primary research, that breaks new
ground in interpretation or methodology, and that contributes generally to the intellectual vitality of
vernacular studies. The Bishir Prize was awarded for the first time in 2012.
Entries may come from any discipline concerned with vernacular architecture studies. Articles published
in the two years prior to the VAF annual conference are eligible for consideration. Please note that essays
published as chapters in a book are also eligible if the volume is peer-reviewed, published within the time
parameters specified, and the research presented in the essay is new. Anthologized collections are not
eligible.
Call for Nominations
Does your work contribute to the study of vernacular architecture and cultural landscapes? Have you
published a scholarly article on the subject in the last two calendar years? You may be eligible for the
Bishir Prize from the Vernacular Architecture Forum.
Peer reviewed articles published January 1, 2020 or later will be eligible for nomination for the 2022
prize. The deadline for nominations for the 2022 Bishir Prize is February 1, 2022.
To nominate an article or self-nominate please submit the following:
- An MS Word document providing contact information, publication data (title of journal, or name
of book and publishing company if an essay in a larger collection) including date of publication. - PDF copy of the published article including illustrations.
- A brief statement contextualizing the author(s) and article.
Nomination materials should be submitted to Catherine W. Bishir Prize Committee at
bishirprize@vafweb.org.