Academy of the Arts - Guild Hall

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. This year’s event will take place on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at the Rainbow Room in New York City.

Mission + Procedures

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.

Members

Alan Alda, ‘85
Arlene Alda
John Alexander, ‘12
Laurie Anderson, ‘11
Julie Andrews
Ken Auletta, ‘08
Alice Aycock, ‘18

Jon Robin Baitz, ‘11
Bob Balaban, ‘09
Alec Baldwin, ‘03
Monica Banks
Mary Ellen Bartley
Louis Begley, ‘04
Joy Behar
Lynda Benglis
Robert Benton, ‘95
Barry Bergdoll
Candice Bergen, ‘08
Uri Berliner
Jill Bialosky
Sanford Biggers
Ross Bleckner, ’00
Dianne Blell
Lorraine Bracco
Christie Brinkley
Matthew Broderick, ‘14
Mel Brooks, ‘07
Tory Burch
Carter Burwell, ’18

Kate Capshaw
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
Renee Cox
Melanie Crader, Ex Officio

Cynthia Daniels
Blythe Danner, ‘13
Paul Davis, ‘90
Christophe de Menil
Philippe de Montebello, ‘13
Ron Delsener
Jeremy Dennis
B. Diamonstein-Spielvogel
Nicolette Donen
Robert Downey Jr.
Susan Downey

Cornelius Eady
Melissa Errico

Florence Fabricant
Bran Ferren
Eric Fischl, ‘94, President Emeritus
Cornelia Foss
Barry Friedberg, ‘15
Roy Furman, ‘06, President Emeritus

Steven Gaines
Ina Garten
Richard Gere
Ralph Gibson, ‘14
Arnold Glimcher
RoseLee Goldberg
Paul Goldberger, ‘06
April Gornik, ‘02
Andrea Grover, Ex Officio

Joan Hamburg
Stephen Hamilton
Ted Hartley, ‘19
Mary Heilmann, ‘15
A.M. Homes, ‘15
Edmund Hollander
Sunny Hostin
Bryan Hunt

John Irving, ‘90
Walter Isaacson, ‘12

Virginia Jaramillo
Valerie Jaudon
Billy Joel, ‘97
David Joel
Betsey Johnson
Rashid Johnson

Donna Karan
LaVon Kellner, ’23
Mel Kendrick
Patti Askwith Kenner, ‘18
Calvin Klein
Reed Krakoff
Jill Krementz
Steve Kroft

Susan Lacy
Laurie Lambrecht
Nathan Lane, ‘12
Erik Larson
Jo Carole Lauder, ‘13
Ronald Lauder, ‘13
Matt Lauer
Ralph Lauren
Ricky Lauren
Paul Libin
Judy Licht-Della Femina
Annie Leibovitz
Robert Longo
Susan Lucci

Harry Macklowe ‘14
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

Robert Nederlander
Arcmanoro Niles
Cynthia Nixon
Marsha Norman, ‘09

Hannah Pakula
Maulik Pancholy
Sarah Jessica Parker, ‘15
Alan Patricof, ‘09
Itzhak Perlman, ‘88
Lisa Perry
Holly Peterson
Elizabeth Peyton, ‘10
Lisa Phillips
Nicholas Pileggi
Marla Prather
Richard Prince, ‘09

Questlove
Sally Quinn

Dan Rattiner
Helen Rattray
Ron Rifkin
Eric Ripert
Dan Rizzie
Dorothea Rockburne, ‘19
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

Carl Safina
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
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
Robert A.M. Stern, ‘99
Martha Stewart
Susan Stroman, ‘16, President
Michelle Stuart
Billy Sullivan
Donald Sultan

Elie Tahari
Hank Willis Thomas
Frederic Tuten
Judith Hope Twomey
Neil deGrasse Tyson

Hans Van de Bovenkamp
Edwina von Gal, ‘16

Rufus Wainwright
Amei Wallach
Janet Wallach
Emma Walton
Vera Wang
Bruce Weber, ‘11
Carrie Mae Weems
Andrina Wekontash Smith
Ali Wentworth
Robert Wilson, ‘02
Frank Wimberley
Lucy Winton
Bruce Wolosoff
Nina Yankowitz
Harris Yulin, ‘17

Donald Zucker, ‘08
Mortimer B. Zuckerman, ‘03

IN MEMORIAM

Edward Albee, ‘91
Lauren Bacall, ‘90
Jennifer Bartlett, ‘08
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
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
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
Tom Wolfe, ’88
Jack Youngerman, ‘03

Lifetime Achievement Honorees denoted by year

Lifetime Achievement Honorees

Year	Visual Arts	Performing Arts	Literary Arts	Special Award
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*

* In Memoriam