The National Arts Club

09/29/2023

Tonight's event, "Notes on Reality Art: An Evening with Signe Pierce" has been postponed due to the extreme weather. Another event will be announced at a later date.

09/28/2023

As part of the NAC's 125th season celebrations, join NAC Member and Tilden historian Dr. Eugene Weise for an illustrated lecture on the complex life of Samuel Tilden, the 25th governor of New York and the original owner of the Tilden Mansion, which would later become the home of the NAC. He will delve into the lives of the 20th century occupants of 15 Gramercy Park and their Gilded Age style of living.

Join us on October 5 at 6pm. Click the link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-legacy-of-samuel-tilden-tickets-718132201747?aff=oddtdtcreator
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An illustrated lecture by NAC Member and Tilden expert and historian Dr. Eugene Weise

09/26/2023

Have you visited the new Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History, designed by Studio Gang? Join their Design Principal and Partner, Weston Walker, as he presents the Gilder Center and explains how its design encourages exploration­ and curiosity about the natural world.

Join us on Tuesday, October 3rd at 7:30 pm EST. Follow this link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-yorks-museum-of-natural-history-expansion-by-studio-gang-tickets-718086073777?aff=oddtdtcreator
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09/25/2023

The mythological island birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite, Cyprus is a crossroads between East and West, North and South. In celebration of International Archaeology Day, join the Honourable Michalis S. Firillas, Cypriot Consul General, as he discusses the history and complexities of this fascinating country.

Join us on Monday, October 2nd at 6:30 pm EST. To register, follow the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-ancient-geopolitics-of-cyprus-tickets-718084438887?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/20/2023

This Saturday, Sept 23, join us for the NAC's annual COMMUNITY DAY! From 10am to 4pm, enjoy behind-the-scenes access to the Tilden Mansion, live music, and an arts-and-crafts station where you and your little ones can create keepsakes to take home. Come and celebrate with us 🎨🎉

For details, click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/699005001777?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/06/2023

Join bird-watcher and author Christian Cooper as he speaks about his new memoir, "Better Living Through Birding." Learn about the events that came after the confrontation in Central Park that made him an unwilling celebrity in the spring of 2020. As a lifelong comics nerd and self-taught birder — and a gay Black man in America ­— he tells the story of his unexpected path with humor and a sense of awe for the healing power of nature. Glenn Raucher, host of the Half King reading series, will interview Cooper.

Join us on Tuesday, September 12, at 8 pm EST. To register for free, click the link in our bio. 🔗
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09/05/2023

ON VIEW NOW: "In a New Light: American Impressionism 1870 - 1940 | Works from the Bank of America Collection."

This exhibition, created in partnership with Bank of America, features more than 130 works from seminal figures of the American Impressionist movement, including Childe Hassam, George Inness, and John Sloan, as well as 13 artists who were Artist Life Members of the NAC.

This exhibition has been loaned through the Bank of America Art in our Communities program®.
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The mission of The National Arts Club is to stimulate, foster and promote public interest in the arts and educate the American people in the fine arts.

09/04/2023

We missed you, New York! ❤️ The NAC reopens for its 125th season TOMORROW, September 5th! At 5 pm, enjoy a performance on the stoop featuring members of the Gramercy Brass Orchestra of New York 🎺 Come and help us kick off another unforgettable season!
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08/29/2023

Calling all artists: only three days left to apply! Click the link in our bio for more info 👈

The NAC Artist Fellowship program seeks to further the careers of professional artists. Artist Fellows will be featured in NAC programming and presentations. Additionally, they will receive a year of full membership to the historic club, including access to the clubhouse, overnight rooms, and public programs.

The deadline to apply is September 1. Applicants must be 21 of age or older. Applicants of all backgrounds, especially those within the NYC metro area, are encouraged to apply.
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08/11/2023

COMING SOON! We're excited to announce our upcoming exhibition in partnership with Bank of America: "In A New Light: American Impressionism 1870 - 1940 | Works from the Bank of America Collection," opening September 5th! 🥳✨

The exhibition will feature more than 130 works from seminal figures of the American Impressionist movement, including Childe Hassam, George Inness, and John Sloan, as well as 13 artists who were Artist Life Members of the NAC.
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08/07/2023

The Andy Warhol exhibition in 2021 was one of our biggest yet. This September, the NAC and Bank of America are teaming up to bring another blockbuster collection to our halls 👏🤩
Want to know more? Stay tuned! 👀

08/01/2023

One month left to apply! Link in bio for more info 🔗

The NAC Artist Fellowship program seeks to further the careers of professional artists. Artist Fellows will be featured in NAC programming and presentations. Additionally, they will receive a year of full membership to the historic club, including access to the clubhouse, overnight rooms, and public programs.

The deadline to apply is September 1. Applicants must be 21 of age or older. Applicants of all backgrounds, and especially those within the NYC metro area, are encouraged to apply.
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07/21/2023

As we remember Tony Bennett, we look back on his legendary career and steadfast commitment to the arts. Although he is best known for being one of the greatest pop vocalists of all time, Bennett was also a gifted visual artist, having exhibited in galleries worldwide. In 1997, the NAC was honored to host a solo show of Tony Bennett's work, during which he donated his painting, "Boy on Sailboat, Sydney Bay," to the club's permanent collection. 🕊
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07/18/2023

Last week, the Mandalorian scored 9 Emmy nominations! 🤠💫 To celebrate, check out our conversation with , senior character and costume concept designer at Lucasfilm, who gives a glimpse into the conceptual development of the show.
Link in bio for the video! 🔗
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All images ©️Brian Matyas
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06/27/2023

David Doty has been unanimously reelected president of the National Art Club's board of governors. Read more about it here: https://ow.ly/hcwv50OYwFN
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06/02/2023

Call for artists! The NAC is now taking applications for our 2023-24 Artist Fellowship.

The NAC Artist Fellowship program seeks to further the careers of established, young professional artists. Artist Fellows will be featured in NAC programming and presentations. Additionally, they will receive a year of full membership to the historic club, including access to the clubhouse, overnight rooms, and public programs.

For more information on how to apply, visit nationalartsclub.org/artistfellows. The deadline to apply is September 1st.

The mission of The National Arts Club is to stimulate, foster and promote public interest in the arts and educate the American people in the fine arts.

06/02/2023

05/31/2023

Two new books focus on the influence women have had on groundbreaking writing and journalism from the mid-1800s to the present day. Brooke Kroeger (Authorbrookekroeger) (Undaunted) and Sarah Watling (Tomorrow Perhaps the Future) present portraits of extraordinary writers, artists, and journalists -- women “hungry for adventure” and eager to make their name. Join us on Monday, June 5, at 8 PM (EST).

From Margaret Fuller, reporting from Rome on the revolutions of 1848, to Martha Gellhorn in Madrid, as Spain fell to Franco in 1948, women were on the front lines, telling the story as they saw it. Kroeger and Watling will appear in conversation with Laurie Gwen Shapiro, award-winning author and contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Times.

05/30/2023

We are saddened by the loss of pioneering installation artist and National Arts Club Medal of Honor recipient Ilya Kabakov. Ilya Kabakov was an artist whose expansive works sharply directed their aim at the imploded dreams of the Soviet Union, ushering in new possibilities for installation art in the process. Ilya and his wife, Emilia Kabakov, received our Medal of Honor in Fine Arts in 2016.

05/18/2023

We are excited to announce that we have been awarded a capital grant of $1,020,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the preservation and repair of the historic, unique façade of the Samuel J. Tilden House, composed of brownstone and granite and fronting Gramercy Park. Created by Calvert Vaux between 1881 and 1884, this architectural work of art, now home to the NAC and its many galleries open to the public, features such details as intricately carved heads of the artists who inspired Samuel Tilden, including Shakespeare, Milton, Goethe, and Dante.

“The National Arts Club, as we celebrate our 125th anniversary year, is extremely grateful to NYSCA upon having received this generous grant, which will help us as we maintain and repair one of the city’s most important building façades, on the Tilden Mansion, which is now our own home,” said David Doty, president of the National Arts Club.

05/12/2023

We had the absolute privilege to honor with our Medal of Honor tonight. Thank you to , .anthony.appiah and for your beautiful words.

03/27/2023

The National Arts Club and The Council for Canadian American Relations present "François Girard: On Directing." A conversation featuring François Girard, Director, and Paul Cremo, Dramaturg, The Metropolitan Opera.
Link to watch the talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbPyICk0_sI

Don’t miss the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Lohengrin, which returns the opera to the Met stage for the first time in 17 years. In a sequel to his revelatory production of Parsifal, director François Girard unveils an atmospheric staging that once again weds his striking visual style and keen dramatic insight to Wagner’s breathtaking music, with Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium to conduct a supreme cast led by tenor Piotr Beczała in the title role of the mysterious swan knight. On stage through April 1.

Buy Tickets: bit.ly/3S6BHju

03/21/2023

Mark your calendars for our annual headwear extravaganza! What does the future hold? In this year's Bonnet Bash, time-travel with the Fashion Committee to the National Arts Club’s annual showcase for all things hats. Discover visionary headwear in a one-night-only installation created by designer Penny Chu (), behold the hereafter in a dynamic environment by Sarah Sparkles () and with blasts from the past by the Museum of Interesting Things, and revisit your youth to the music of Erik Rydju, while enjoying specially themed cocktails and futuristic performances. Join us on Friday, March 31, at 8 PM (EST).

Dress for the times and envision your own headwear for a chance to win the “Marinetti” (most futuristic), “Lloyd Dunn” (most retro-futuristic), or “Marty McFly” (most 1980s) award.

Milliner and artist Penny Chu of CHU CHU NY creates sculptural headwear beyond the conventional concept of a hat. Her pieces have adorned public figures like Billy Porter, Broadway Producer Jordan Roth, and Designer Alexander Wang. Designer Sarah Sparkles is the owner of Sparkledome Studio Crystal Fine Art, Props & Accessories. DJ Erik Rydju spins and curates for Armani, DKNY, J. Crew, and Christie’s.

Enjoy these amazing photos from last year's Bonnet Bash!

02/13/2023

01/30/2023

Described as “...the unknown queen of Americana…” (Feedback) and “...a Black Lucinda Williams...a brutal, original, explosive singer...” (Vanity Fair), vocalist, playwright, solo performer, songwriter, musician and National Arts Club Artist Fellow Queen Esther performs selections from Gild The Black LiIly (2021) – the fourth critically acclaimed self-produced album on her imprint EL Recordings, as well as her pandemic album Rona, set for a soft release in February 2023

01/26/2023

Put on your dancing shoes and arrive prepared to dance with us to the live music performance of The Bushwick Big Band on Thursday, February 2, at 7:30 PM (ET).

The Bushwick Big Band is an ensemble dedicated to playing jazz charts, old and new, from Count Basie to Stevie Wonder. Join us in this celebration of music and friends.

01/20/2023

VIRTUAL: Dr. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, author of “Skirts: Fashioning Modern Femininity in the Twentieth Century," traces the shifting roles of women over the 20th century through the era’s most iconic dresses on Friday, January 27 at 3 PM (ET).

Dr. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell traces the shifting roles of women over the 20th century through the era’s most iconic dresses.

01/19/2023

See Greg Colson’s “Snap Shot” in our galleries through January 28.

In “Snap Shot,” Colson explores the tension between different kinds of gestures, conflicting notions of intention and accident, the big picture and small details. His “Pie Chart” paintings draw out the humor and rhythm in our social patterns, reflecting our obsession with efficiency, data, and analysis—which are typically seen in the sleek nonmaterial setting of the computer screen. These woks convey a sense of distraction that is, in Colson’s words, “the condition of our lives in the information age, where the trivial and significant are put on an equal footing.”

To learn more, please visit nationalartsclub.org/exhibitions.

01/18/2023

It's time to talk fashion! Erin Beatty, founder of Rentrayage, will discuss how her fashion label sources its materials to create beauty and value. Join The National Arts Club on Wednesday, January 25, at 6 PM (ET). This is a virtual event. To register for free, please follow the link in our bio.

Inspired by Louise Bourgeois, Rentrayage is a French word to mend and to “make whole again.” In today’s world, fast fashion is a major contributor to landfill waste. Creating sustainable fashion addresses the need to limit our footprint by creating style from that which already exists.

Rentrayage (), based in Brooklyn, NY, was created out of this concept as a company dedicated to sustainable fashion. Erin Beatty, founder of Rentrayage, will discuss how her fashion label sources its materials to create beauty and value from what has been discarded.

01/18/2023

Examine the ideal–or not-so-ideal–Greek woman on Wednesday, January 25 at 6:30 PM (ET).

Jenifer Neils, Elsie B. Smith Professor emerita of Liberal Studies at Case Western Reserve University and former Director of American School of Classical Studies in Athens, discusses how by viewing the imagery of ideal and less than ideal women, Greek artists portrayed females within a misogynist society.

This program is presented in collaboration with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

Jenifer Neils, Elsie B. Smith Professor emerita, discusses how Greek artists portrayed females within a misogynist society.

01/17/2023

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout visits the National Arts Club on Tuesday, January 24 at 6:30 PM (ET) with her latest novel “Lucy by the Sea.”

With her trademark spare, crystalline prose, Strout follows the indomitable heroine of “My Name Is Lucy Barton” through the early days of the pandemic in “Lucy by the Sea.”

Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout follows the indomitable heroine of "My Name Is Lucy Barton" through the early days of the pandemic.

01/16/2023

Our annual one-act play festival returns on Monday, January 23 at 6:30 PM (ET).

For this year’s festival, we present a series of short, compelling, meaningful works that reveal heightened interactions among people—not only for the characters involved in the story, but also for all of us out there in the audience.

For the National Arts Club’s fourth annual One-Act Play Festival, we present a series of short, compelling, meaningful works.

01/16/2023

Today's the day; honor MLK!

01/13/2023

On Friday, January 20, we present the National Arts Club Medal of Honor to fashion designer Naeem Khan.

Born and raised in Mumbai, Khan () cultivated a vast knowledge of textiles under the watchful eyes of his grandfather and father, both of whom designed intricate clothing worn by Indian royal families. Khan moved to the United States as a teenager and launched his career as an apprentice for legendary American designer Halston where he immersed himself in the ethos of modern restraint and learned the craft of draping and cutting fabric to create a clean, elegant and timeless silhouette.

Khan launched his eponymous label in 2003, and since that time his collections have adorned glamorous women around the world including Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, Rachel McAdams, Michelle Obama, Queen Noor of Jordan, and the Princess of Wales, when she was the Duchess of Cambridge. In 2008, he was inducted as a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

01/10/2023

Enjoy a performance by young pianists Ryan Lu and Yidi Ding on Wednesday, January 18 at 7 PM (ET).

The evening includes traditional Chinese music in contemporary arrangements, works by African-American legend Florence Price, and virtuoso showpieces by Tchaikovsky, Chopin and Liszt.

Young pianists – Ryan Lu and Yidi Ding – present a program including traditional Chinese music in contemporary arrangement and more.

01/09/2023

On view: “Psycho!Geo!Graphic: Melvin (Grave) Guzman”

Melvin (GRAVE) Guzman is a mixed media and performance artist. Balancing abstraction and mysticism, Grave transforms the mundane, constantly experimenting with fragments of what is close at hand and of the city to transcend both his and our collective states of being.

“Psycho!Geo!Graphic” examines a two-year acclimation to a new type of existence in New York during which the artist assembled a collection of compartmental cartographies—fragments of places—part of the whole he endeavors to convey employing a sort of nomadology of techniques, gestures, and tools. Objects infused with the entropy of the city modulate this contained reality, much like they do the topography and existential possibility of the city, in a holistic, hopefully graphic, expression of a metaphysics of subsistence.

This exhibition is on view through January 28. To learn more, please visit nationalartsclub.org/exhibitions.

01/06/2023

Joan of Arc is believed to have been born (January 6) in 1412. This sculpture of the famed heroine sits atop a mantle in our historic parlors. It was created by Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876-1973), a leading sculptor of the early 20th century and an Artist Life Member of the National Arts Club.

📸: Evan Joseph

01/05/2023

Internationally-renowned dance photographer Costas shares photos and talks about his new book, “Dancing Women,” on Thursday, January 12 at 6 PM (ET).

A dance lover's dream, the book reflects Costas’ commitment to taking photos of dancers in action rather than posed-for studio settings. His subjects range from the Ailey Company to the Bolshoi to New York City Ballet.

Internationally renowned dance photographer Costas shares photos and talks about his new book, Dancing Women.

01/05/2023

Vodka expert Harold Joyce dives into the 600-year evolution of the spirit on Thursday, January 12 at 6 PM (ET).

Learn about the distillation process and various types of vodka currently being made. Sharing from Joyce’s personal collection of bottles, guests will experience a variety of versions of the spirit.

Harold Joyce, veteran of adult beverages and partner in Idaho’s 44North Vodka, shares the over 600-year evolution of vodka.