Since its founding in 1898, Arts and Letters has been a place where artists support artists
The Arts and Letters auditorium opened in 1930 and was designed by member Cass Gilbert
Pictured here is the bronze entrance to our North Gallery.
The bronze doors of our South Building, designed by member Herbert Adams
Teresa Baker,Twenty Minutes to Sunset
Raven Chacon's Aviary transformed our skylit North Gallery into a sonic environment
Wadada Leo Smith's Kosmic Music included over fifty years of the composer-performer's
Since its founding in 1898, Arts and Letters has been a place where artists support artists—across generations and disciplines. This painting by Edward H. May is a portrait of Literature member Edith Wharton from 1881, when Wharton was eighteen.
The Arts and Letters auditorium opened in 1930 and was designed by member Cass Gilbert, well-known for the Woolworth Building in lower Manhattan and the United States Supreme Court in Washington, DC. Since 1942, Arts and Letters has held its annual Ceremonial event in the auditorium.
Pictured here is the bronze entrance to our North Gallery. Inscribed above the doors is the phrase, “By the gates of art we enter the temple of happiness.” Join our mailing list to receive announcements about our exhibitions and public events.
The bronze doors of our South Building, designed by member Herbert Adams, lead onto Audubon Terrace, one of the first cultural complexes in the United States. Read more about our site history.
Teresa Baker, Twenty Minutes to Sunset
Raven Chacon's Aviary transformed our skylit North Gallery into a sonic environment of bird calls.
Wadada Leo Smith's Kosmic Music included over fifty years of the composer-performer's Ankhrasmation language scores.
We are excited to announce the 2025 New Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Our galleries are closed for the summer and will reopen September 27, 2025.
Our institutional archives include member correspondence, photographs, press clippings, board minutes, and administrative records from 1898 to the present.
Arts and Letters is an honor society of artists, architects, composers, and writers who foster and sustain interest in the arts. Learn more about our history.