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Guild Hall’s Academy Of The Arts Dinner

Guild Hall recently held its annual Academy of the Arts Dinner on Monday, March 14 at Cipriani 42nd Street, honoring Board Chairman Marty Cohen and Michele Cohen in recognition of their long-standing commitment and generosity to Guild Hall. The event also recognized the newest inductees to the Academy, including Barry Bergdoll, Renee Cox, Cornelius Eady, Bran Ferren, RoseLee Goldberg, Rashid Johnson, Erik Larson, Robert Longo, Julianne Moore, Questlove, Ugo Rondinone, Frank Wimberley, and Lucy Winton. The event exceeded fundraising goals, setting a new record in recent history for the Academy Dinner.

Marty Cohen and Michele Cohen. Photo by Jared Siskin/PMC

As guests settled into dinner, they were treated to a surprise performance by Beat Boxer Chris Celiz and B-Boy Anthony Vito Rodriguez of The Missing Element, presented in collaboration with Works & Process at the Guggenheim. This served as a preview to a performance the company will present as part of Guild Hall’s summer program. Executive Director Andrea Grover welcomed guests and then passed the mic to host, Trustee and Academy President, Eric Fischl. During his speech, Eric notably took a moment to acknowledge the crisis in Ukraine, as well as the recent passing of Academy Member and past honoree, Tony Walton.

Andrea Grover and Lola Lama. Photo by Jared Siskin/PMC

After the main course, the program continued with Bran Ferren followed by Alice Aycock speaking about the honorees, and the reveal of a sculpture by Aycock, Little Twister, gifted to Marty and Michele Cohen, who took the stage to speak. The guests were then treated to another performance by musicians of the New York Philharmonic, including Rebecca Young on Viola, Yulia Ziskel on Violin, and Patrick Jee on Cello. Rebecca Young delighted the audience with a surprise encore featuring an original Guild Hall tribute sing-along song, which served as the perfect finale.

Jeremy Dennis and Brianna Hernández. Photo by Jared Siskin/PMC

“From beat-boxing to classical music to a sing-along, the 36th Annual Academy Dinner perfectly summarized Guild Hall’s disposition as an ‘art omnivore’ that presents over 20 creative disciplines each year. Our ability to achieve such versatility and virtuosity can be credited to the talent of our Academy members, and the vision of our honorees, Marty and Michele Cohen,” said Guild Hall Executive Director, Andrea Grover.

Michele Cohen and Blythe Danner. Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC

Other notable guests included inductees Barry Bergdoll, Renee Cox, Cornelius Eady, RoseLee Goldberg, Erik Larson, Frank Wimberley, and Lucy Winton, as well as April Gornik, Blythe Danner, Peter Marino, Sam Isaly, Harris Yulin, Ronald Guttman, Tovah Feldshuh, Ralph Gibson and Mary Jane Marcasiano, Arcmanoro Niles, Amy Schictel, Alexis Rockman, Toni Ross, Katarina Feder, Angela Westwater, Shelly and Vincent Fremont, Jeremy Dennis, Michael Halsband, Sara VanDerBeek, Eric Shiner, Jose Sebastian, and Catherine Galasso. Several members of Guild Hall’s Board of Trustees were also in attendance, including Albert C. Bellas, Mary Jane Brock, Michael Cinque, Lucy Cookson, David DeLeeuw, Christina Isaly Liceaga, Kim Heirston, Phyllis Hollis, Bruce C. Horten, Susan Jacobson, Patti Kenner, Jeff Loewy, Linda Macklowe, Galia Meiri-Stawski, Stephen Meringoff, Cheryl Minikes, Alice Netter, Tom Roush, Sheri Sandler, Lisa Schultz, John Shea, Bruce Wolosoff, and Ken Wyse.

Eric Fischl and April Gornik. Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC

Also in attendance was the creative team behind Guild Hall’s Capital Improvements Project, Peter Pennoyer, Ed Hollander, and Bran Ferren, as well as Owner’s Reps Jon Maass and Pamela Torres. Details of the project, set to begin this spring with an estimated completion of late spring 2023, were shared during Grover’s welcome speech.