The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union presented the inaugural Go Your Own Way Award on March 6, 2026 at Anthology Film Archives, honoring filmmaker Jim Jarmusch for a career defined by creative independence and an uncompromising commitment to his craft. Made possible by the Zeke Endowment, which was founded by Cooper alumni Jesse Reiser AR’81 and Nanako Umemoto AR’83, the annual prize celebrates and supports individuals who embody independent thought, intellectual curiosity, and the courage to challenge conventional paradigms across architecture, art, engineering, and science.

“This is such an honor. The Cooper Union and what it stands for mean so much to me,” Jarmusch said during the award ceremony. “It’s an institution that has nurtured such important artistic thought.”

The Go Your Own Way Award was established in memory of Reiser and Umemoto’s son, Zeke Reiser, whose wide-ranging intellectual interests—from cosmology and science to contemporary art—exemplified the spirit of forging one’s own path. Though his life was cut short by illness in 2016 as he began studying philosophy at Columbia University, his unbridled curiosity and independent pursuit of knowledge continue to inspire others. The award in his honor is supported by architectural theorist and critic Jeff Kipnis, a family friend and creative collaborator of Zeke’s.

The evening opened with a welcome from Cooper alumnus Sotirios Koutolas AR’03, chair of the board of Anthology Film Archives, and Benjamin Aranda, acting dean and IDC Foundation Distinguished Professor in The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. Their remarks paid tribute to the longstanding connection between the two institutions dating back to Anthology Film Archives co-founder Jonas Micas, an influential filmmaker and artist who taught courses at The Cooper Union. Micas had a decades-long friendship with the late architect and educator Raimund Abraham, who in the 1980s—together with fellow Cooper faculty member Kevin Bone—transformed Manhattan’s Second Avenue courthouse into the current home of Anthology Film Archives.

The program featured a screening of Jarmusch’s film Coffee and Cigarettes, which includes scenes filmed at Anthology Film Archives and in the East Village, followed by a conversation between the director and film critic Amy Taubin. The award was then formally presented by Jesse Reiser, who spoke about his son’s life and the inspiration behind the prize. Reiser presented Jarmusch with a medal that he custom designed and cast himself to mark the honor.

Bestowal of the award, Reiser said, is intended to offer a “prodding of voices from the outside” and a “reminder to students that the world is wider and wilder than is comfortably portrayed by their teachers.” Recipients are individuals whose unique paths across disciplines serve as an inspiration to Cooper Union students, demonstrating the potential of a multifaceted and unconventional approach to learning and creation.

“I now carry the luminous spirit of Zeke Reiser inside me,” Jarmusch wrote in an Instagram post.

The evening concluded with a reception in the Anthology Film Archives lobby, gathering students, alumni, and faculty members of The Irwin S. Architecture community in celebration. Cooper students had the opportunity to engage Jarmusch in conversation, ask questions, and learn more about the filmmaker’s creative journey.