In 1985, in recognition of the abundance of visual, literary, and performing artists in the Hamptons, Guild Hall’s Board of Trustees initiated an awards program and honored local luminaries Kurt Vonnegut, Willem de Kooning, and Alan Alda. The following year, the Guild Hall Academy of the Arts was founded by Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Perry, Joseph F. Cullman, III, Peter Jennings, Sydney Gruson, Wilfred Sheed, Elaine Steinbeck, Henry Geldzahler, and Sherrye P. Henry as an association of talented artists and arts professionals who have an affiliation with Guild Hall.
Today, the Academy, presided over by President Susan Stroman, is a truly incredible assemblage of internationally recognized artists who are ardent advocates of Guild Hall’s mission. The Academy’s 250-max members are resources of talent for our programs and for mentoring younger artists in the community, with the intention of extending the legacy of the region as one of the country’s most storied art colonies.
Past Academy Presidents have included Broadway producer Roy Furman, television executive Ed Bleier, and most recently, artist Eric Fischl, who put forth his vision of supporting the next generation of artists by helping to establish the Guild House Artist-in-Residence program for which Academy members serve as nominators and mentors. Award-winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman assumed the role of President in December 2024.
Each spring, the Annual Academy of the Arts Awards Dinner continues the founding tradition of recognizing lifetime achievement by artists, creative professionals, and individuals who passionately support the arts in our community. The 40th Annual Academy of the Arts Achievement Awards Dinner will take place on Monday, April 27 at The Rainbow Room, where we will honor Carl Bernstein and Katie Couric each with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Media & Communications and Leila Straus with the Special Award for Leadership and Philanthropy. We are delighted to recognize our newest inductees to the Academy of the Arts: Victor Garber, Sarah Sze, and Colson Whitehead.
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To foster and inspire the artistic spirit of the East End and recognize the diversity and ingenuity of human expression, this is the mission of Guild Hall’s Academy of the Arts. Established in 1985, the Academy is one of the four pillars of Guild Hall of East Hampton in concert with the Hilarie and Mitchel Morgan Theater, Guild Hall Museum, and Education Department. It is a life-term honor conferred on no more than 250 living members with an association to eastern Long Island. Each year, all members may vote on the Lifetime Achievement Awards. Up to three Academicians are recognized from the membership—one from each Academy branch: Visual Arts, Communications and Literary Arts, and Performing Arts. Guild Hall may recognize excellence in Leadership and Philanthropy with a fourth. The achievement awards ballots are drafted by the Liaison to the Academy under the direction of the Academy President, Executive Director, Artistic Director and Museum Director. All Academy members, regardless of where they reside in the Academy, are invited to vote across disciplines for the three Achievement awards. While honorees are generally chosen from the body of the Academy, outstanding candidates who are not yet Academicians may win the Lifetime Achievement Award. In such cases, those honorees are invited to sit on the Academy. All Achievement honorees become members of the Academy in perpetuity. When honorees become members in memoriam or members’ terms expire, their voting seats are available for the Academy to fill with appropriate talent. If vacancies arise, members are added once a year in the winter. A Nominating Committee comprised of no more than ten Academy members produces the ballots. The committee consists of the Academy President, Executive Director, Artistic Director, Museum Director and no more than six at-large members of Academicians. They follow strict selection criteria: art professionals of significant achievement in their fields demonstrably associated with the East End of Long Island. From the committee-assembled ballots, each branch votes to add members of their own discipline. New members are invited to join for the term of their natural lives. The Guild Hall Academy of the Arts is an honor society representing substantive artistic achievement. In the past, Academicians have chosen to mentor Guild Hall’s artists-in-residence, supply programming in the Theater and Museum, serve as thought-leaders, participate in symposia and multi-disciplinary fora. Most fervently, Guild Hall invites its Academy to use institutional resources as their laboratory thereby aiding Guild Hall to further its mission of letting artists lead the way. Alan Alda, ’85 Jon Robin Baitz, ’11 Kate Capshaw Cynthia Daniels Cornelius Eady Florence Fabricant Steven Gaines Joan Hamburg John Irving, ’90 Virginia Jaramillo Donna Karan Susan Lacy Harry Macklowe ’14 Robert Nederlander Hannah Pakula Questlove Dan Rattiner Carl Safina Elie Tahari Hans Van de Bovenkamp Rufus Wainwright Almond Zigmund Edward Albee, ’91 Lifetime Achievement Honorees denoted by year * In Memoriam Mission + Procedures
Members
Arlene Alda
John Alexander, ’12
Laurie Anderson, ’11
Julie Andrews
Ken Auletta, ’08
Alice Aycock, ’18
Bob Balaban, ’09
Alec Baldwin, ’03
Monica Banks
Mary Ellen Bartley
Louis Begley, ’04
Joy Behar
Lynda Benglis
Barry Bergdoll
Candice Bergen, ’08
Uri Berliner
Carl Bernstein, ’26
Jill Bialosky
Sanford Biggers
Ross Bleckner, ’00
Dianne Blell
Lorraine Bracco
Christie Brinkley
Matthew Broderick, ’14
Mel Brooks, ’07
Tory Burch
Carter Burwell, ’18
Ina Caro
Robert Caro, ’92
Nanette Carter
Fran Castan
Kim Cattrall
Dick Cavett, ’10
Chevy Chase
Marty Cohen, ’22
Michele Cohen, ’22
Bob Colacello, ’18
Blanche Wiesen Cook
Lucy Cookson
Joan Ganz Cooney, ’01
Katie Couric, ’26
Renee Cox
Melanie Crader, Ex Officio
Blythe Danner, ’13
Paul Davis, ’90
Philippe de Montebello, ’13
Ron Delsener
Jeremy Dennis
B. Diamonstein-Spielvogel
Nicolette Donen
Robert Downey Jr.
Susan Downey
Melissa Errico
Eric Fischl, ’94 & ’25, President Emeritus
Cornelia Foss
Barry Friedberg, ’15
Roy Furman, ’06, President Emeritus
Victor Garber
Ina Garten
Richard Gere
Ralph Gibson, ’14
Arnold Glimcher
RoseLee Goldberg
Paul Goldberger, ’06
April Gornik, ’02
Andrea Grover, Ex Officio
Stephen Hamilton
Neil Patrick Harris
Mary Heilmann, ’15
A.M. Homes, ’15
Edmund Hollander
Sunny Hostin
Sheree Hovsepian
Bryan Hunt
Walter Isaacson, ’12
Valerie Jaudon
Billy Joel, ’97
David Joel
Betsey Johnson
Rashid Johnson
LaVon Kellner, ’23
Mel Kendrick
Patti Askwith Kenner, ’18
Amy Kirwin, Ex Officio
Calvin Klein
Reed Krakoff
Jane Krakowski
Jill Krementz
Steve Kroft
Laurie Lambrecht
Nathan Lane, ’12
Erik Larson
Jo Carole Lauder, ’13
Ronald Lauder, ’13
Matt Lauer
Ralph Lauren
Ricky Lauren
Judy Licht-Della Femina
Linda Lindenbaum, ’25
Annie Leibovitz
Robert Longo
Susan Lucci
Linda Macklowe ’14
Anthony Madonna, Ex Officio
Arielle Tepper Madover
Fern Mallis
Joe Mantello
Peter Marino, ’23
Howard Marks, ’24
Nancy Marks, ’24
Kati Marton
Patrick McEnroe
Jay McInerney
Richard Meier, ’91
Susan Meiselas
Lorne Michaels
Paton Miller
Cheryl Minikes, ’16
Michael Minikes, ’16
Isaac Mizrahi
Julianne Moore
Charlotte Moss, ’15
Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Arcmanoro Niles
Cynthia Nixon
Marsha Norman, ’09
Maulik Pancholy
Sarah Jessica Parker, ’15
Alan Patricof, ’09
Itzhak Perlman, ’88
Lisa Perry
Holly Peterson
Elizabeth Peyton, ’10
Lisa Phillips
Joseph M. Pierce
Nicholas Pileggi
Marla Prather
Richard Prince, ’09
Sally Quinn
Ron Rifkin
Eric Ripert
Dan Rizzie
Dorothea Rockburne, ’19
David Rockwell
Elizabeth Barlow Rogers
Ugo Rondinone
Marshall Rose, ’04
Jane Rosenthal
Clifford Ross
Toni Ross
Daryl Roth, ’24
Jordan Roth
Tom Roush, ’23
Mercedes Ruehl, ’06
Salman Rushdie, ’19
David Salle, ’07
Marcus Samuelsson
Sheri Sandler, ’17
Val Schaffner
Henry Schleiff
Julian Schnabel, ’98
Grace Schulman
Philip Schultz, ’16
Stephen A. Schwarzman, ’05
Jerry Seinfeld
Jeffrey Seller
Julie Sheehan
Cindy Sherman, ’04
Lynn Sherr
Paul Simon, ’89
Taryn Simon
Lee Skolnick
Arlene Slavin
G.E. Smith
Iris Smyles
Judith Sneddon
Dava Sobel
Barry Sonnenfeld, ’19
Steven Spielberg, ’98
Martha Stewart
Susan Stroman, ’16, President
Michelle Stuart
Billy Sullivan
Donald Sultan
Sarah Sze
Hank Willis Thomas
Frederic Tuten
Judith Hope Twomey
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Edwina von Gal, ’16
Amei Wallach
Janet Wallach
Emma Walton
Vera Wang
Bruce Weber, ’11
Carrie Mae Weems
Andrina Wekontash Smith
Ali Wentworth
Colson Whitehead
Lucy Winton
Bruce Wolosoff
Nina Yankowitz
Donald Zucker, ’08
Mortimer B. Zuckerman, ’03IN MEMORIAM
Lauren Bacall, ’90
Jennifer Bartlett, ’08
Robert Benton, ’95
Edward Bleier, President Emeritus
Ben Bradlee, ’03
Marshall Brickman, ’10
John Chamberlain, ’06
Chuck Close, ’95
Cy Coleman, ’00
Betty Comden, ’92
Lewis B. Cullman, ’10
Joseph F. Cullman, III, ’99
Willem de Kooning, ’85
E.L. Doctorow, ’86
Jason Epstein, ’00
Jules Feiffer, ’14
Audrey Flack, ’17
Lukas Foss, ’93
Jane Freilicher, ’96
Betty Friedan, ’98
William Gaddis, ’94
Barbara Goldsmith, ’99
Adolph Green, ’92
Charles Gwathmey, ’89
Sheldon Harnick, ’04
Ted Hartley, ’19
Joseph Heller, ’87
Don Hewitt, ’02
Robert Hughes, ’95
Anne Jackson, ’92
Peter Jennings, ’98
William King, ’97
Jack Lenor Larsen, ’97
Roy Lichtenstein, ’87
Sidney Lumet, ’86
Peter Matthiessen, ’89
Terrence McNally, ’93
Dina Merrill, ’11
Alan J. Pakula, ’96
Susan Patricof, ’09
Frank Perry, ’91
Joe Pintauro, ’07
George Plimpton, ’01
Larry Rivers, ’88
Jerome Robbins, ’87
Gene Saks, ’94
Budd Schulberg, ’02
Gail Sheehy, ’17
Robert F. X. Sillerman, ’07
Saul Steinberg, ’86
Robert A.M. Stern, ’99
Peter Stone, ’96
Melville Straus, ’12
Elaine Stritch, ’01
Gwen Verdon, ’99
Esteban Vicente, ’93
Kurt Vonnegut, ’85
Eli Wallach, ’92
Barbara Walters, ’13
Tony Walton, ’92
Wendy Wasserstein, ’97
Jane Wilson, ’01
Lanford Wilson, ’00
Robert Wilson, ’02
Tom Wolfe, ’88
Jack Youngerman, ’03
Harris Yulin, ’17 Lifetime Achievement Honorees
Year Visual Arts Performing Arts Media & Communications Special Award 2026 Carl Bernstein and Katie Couric Leila Straus 2025 Eric Fischl Linda Lindenbaum 2024 Daryl Roth Nancy & Howard Marks 2023 Peter Marino Tom Roush & LaVon Kellner 2022 Marty & Michele Cohen 2019 Dorothea Rockburne Barry Sonnenfeld Salman Rushdie Ted Hartley 2018 Alice Aycock Carter Burwell Bob Colacello Patti Askwith Kenner 2017 Audrey Flack Harris Yulin Gail Sheehy* Sheri Sandler 2016 Edwina von Gal Susan Stroman Philip Schultz Cheryl & Michael Minikes 2015 Mary Heilmann Sarah Jessica Parker A.M. Homes Charlotte Moss & Barry S. Friedberg 2014 Ralph Gibson Matthew Broderick Jules Feiffer Linda & Harry Macklowe 2013 Philippe de Montebello Blythe Danner Barbara Walters* Jo Carole & Ronald S. Lauder 2012 John Alexander Nathan Lane Walter Isaacson Mickey Straus* 2011 Bruce Weber Laurie Anderson Jon Robin Baitz Dina Merrill* 2010 Elizabeth Peyton Dick Cavett Marshall Brickman Lewis B. Cullman* 2009 Richard Prince Bob Balaban Marsha Norman Susan* & Alan Patricof 2008 Jennifer Bartlett* Candice Bergen Ken Auletta Donald Zucker 2007 David Salle Mel Brooks Joe Pintauro* Robert F. X. Sillerman* 2006 John Chamberlain* Mercedes Ruehl Paul Goldberger Roy Furman 2005 Stephen A. Schwarzman 2004 Cindy Sherman Sheldon Harnick* Louis Begley Marshall Rose 2003 Jack Youngerman* Alec Baldwin Ben Bradlee* Mortimer B. Zuckerman 2002 April Gornik Robert Wilson Budd Schulberg* Don Hewitt* 2001 Jane Wilson* Elaine Stritch* George Plimpton* Joan Ganz Cooney 2000 Ross Bleckner Cy Coleman* Lanford Wilson* Jason Epstein* 1999 Robert A.M. Stern Gwen Verdon* Barbara Goldsmith* Joseph F. Cullman 3rd* 1998 Julian Schnabel Steven Spielberg Betty Friedan* Peter Jennings* 1997 William King* Billy Joel Wendy Wasserstein* Jack Lenor Larsen* 1996 Jane Freilicher* Alan J. Pakula* Peter Stone* 1995 Chuck Close* Robert Benton Robert Hughes* 1994 Eric Fischl Gene Saks* William Gaddis* 1993 Esteban Vicente* Lukas Foss* Terrence McNally* 1992 Tony Walton Betty Comden* Robert Caro Adolph Green* Anne Jackson* Eli Wallach* 1991 Richard Meier Frank Perry* Edward Albee* 1990 Paul Davis Lauren Bacall* John Irving 1989 Charles Gwathmey* Paul Simon Peter Matthiessen* 1988 Larry Rivers* Itzhak Perlman Tom Wolfe* 1987 Roy Lichtenstein* Jerome Robbins* Joseph Heller* 1986 Saul Steinberg* Sidney Lumet* E.L. Doctorow* 1985 Willem de Kooning* Alan Alda Kurt Vonnegut*