A New York l'American Academy of Arts and Letters aprirà al contemporaneo alcune delle sue gallerie in stile Beaux Arts dal 26 settembre 2024. Con oltre 125 anni di storia dell'istituzione si avvia un nuovo programma curatoriale con mostre personali, commissioni originali di artisti contemporanei ed eventi interdisciplinari. Il programma è guidato dalla curatrice capo Jenny Jaskey, in consultazione con un comitato di membri artisti di Arts and Letters tra cui: Mel Chin, Charles Gaines, Ann Hamilton, Joan Jonas e Amy Sillman.
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The American Academy of Arts and Letters is pleased to announce it will open 10,000 square feet of its Beaux Arts–style galleries to the public year-round in September 2024. The major milestone in the institution’s 125-year history is accompanied by a new curatorial program featuring solo exhibitions, original commissions by contemporary artists, and interdisciplinary events. The program is led by Chief Curator Jenny Jaskey, in consultation with a committee of Arts and Letters artist members including Mel Chin, Charles Gaines, Ann Hamilton, Joan Jonas, and Amy Sillman.
“We are thrilled to open our doors to the public year-round and to create a place of welcome in Washington Heights. Our new programming will bring together and inspire conversations between artistic disciplines,” said Executive Director Cody Upton.
The fall season will feature a solo exhibition of Christine Kozlov, one of Conceptual art's first practitioners, across four galleries in Arts and Letters’s South Building and a commissioned sound installation by artist and composer Raven Chacon in the North Gallery. On the occasion of Chacon’s exhibition, composer Wadada Leo Smith, an Arts and Letters member and Chacon’s former teacher, will exhibit his scores in the Hassam Gallery and perform in a joint concert with Chacon on Saturday, September 28, during opening weekend. In October, Arts and Letters will premiere a durational performance by choreographer Jonathan González in its library and members’ room. Next year, the spring season will showcase exhibitions by photographer and filmmaker Elle Pérez and painter Teresa Baker.
“Working as a curator among artists to develop the program, we were mindful of the many ways of being an artist and how we could support art-making across diverse media,” said Chief Curator Jenny Jaskey. “Conceptual art, photography, film, performance, installation, and sound art are all represented. We’re excited to connect to the history of Arts and Letters as a place that brings people together and creates new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.”
The opening follows a significant renovation to the Arts and Letters buildings, with further capital improvements planned over the next three years. “Arts and Letters has a rare opportunity to not only offer extraordinary landmark buildings to artists in a city where space is a precious resource, but to share this space with the public,” said Arts and Letters Board Member and architect Billie Tsien. “We believe this support is crucial to artistic flourishing and to encourage community across disciplines.”
Founded in 1898 and located in landmark buildings in Washington Heights, Arts and Letters is an honor society of artists, architects, composers, and writers who foster and sustain interest in the arts. Arts and Letters members honor and support creative individuals, notably through over seventy annual awards and prizes. Championing experimentation and speaking to the breadth of contemporary art today, the new program will give artists space, time, and resources to realize ambitious projects. In the coming season Arts and Letters will host writers, architects, composers, and artists for concerts, talks, and additional public events.
“From its founding, Arts and Letters has been a place where artists support the arts,” says Arts and Letters Board Member and artist Ann Hamilton. “That spirit of artistic kinship runs throughout our new program. We want to be a place that honors and creates the conditions to support the next generation of artists and to transform what this arts institution of architects and writers, of visual artists and musicians, can contribute to the larger cultural conversation.”
Beginning this September, Arts and Letters will host interdisciplinary events throughout the year and offer tours of its historic buildings on Audubon Terrace.
