Announcements

The 2019 Blashfield Address, entitled “The Gift of Gayness: A Tell-All,” was delivered by David Del Tredici on May 22nd, 2019, at the Academy’s annual Ceremonial.

On Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at 7 p.m. Randy Cohen will interview Art Spiegelman in the Academy Library. The event is free and open to the public but reservations are required.

Paintings, works on paper, photographs, video, sketchbooks, architectural models, renderings, and original manuscripts will be on view from May 23 through June 16 at the Academy galleries.

Listen to the panel discussion featuring David Cohen of artcritical and art award winners Judith Bernstein, Charlotte de Larminat, Inka Essenhigh, Alain Kirili, and Doron Langberg.

The American Academy of Arts and Letters announces the recipients of the Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize and four Arts and Letters Awards.

Listen to the spring concert.

Twenty-six artists receive awards and purchase prizes totaling over $250,000.

Seventeen writers will receive the Academy’s 2019 awards in literature.

In mid-May, Lorrie Moore, secretary, will induct eleven members into the 250-person organization and Billie Tsien, president, will induct five foreign honorary members.

Sixteen recipients receive this year’s awards in music, which total $195,000.

Bhangin’ it and The Lucky Ones have won the 2019 Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater.

Paintings, sculptures, video, photographs, and works on paper by 32 contemporary artists will be exhibited from Thursday, March 7 through Sunday, April 7, 2019.

The Academy has awarded its 2018 Presidential Citation to Gerry Irizarry, a design teacher at Urban Assembly Maker Academy in Manhattan.

The 2018 Blashfield Address, entitled “The Ideal of Excellence,” was delivered by Paula Kerger on May 23, 2018, at the Academy’s annual Ceremonial.  Ms. Kerger has been president and CEO of PBS since 2006. Listen to address by clicking below.  

A statement from the Board responding to sexual misconduct allegations against members.

Architect Billie Tsien was elected president of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Ms. Tsien, who was inducted into the Academy in 2007, will serve a three-year term from January 2018 to January 2021.

Cody Upton has been appointed Executive Director of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, beginning July 1, 2017. He will succeed Virginia Dajani, who is retiring after 27 years. Upton will be the fifth Executive Director in the Academy’s 119-year history.