One of the richest prizes in the arts, the $300,000 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, is being awarded to the artist Maya Lin.

Ms. Lin, who first caught the world’s attention in 1981 with her design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will collect the award at a private event at the Museum of Modern Art on Nov. 12.

The prize, now in its 21st year, was established by Lillian Gish’s will, and it is given annually to “a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life.”