Yesterday, the American Academy of Arts and Letters announced the recipients of its annual 2026 Award in Arts, which will be presented at the Arts and Letters annual Ceremonial in May. Three of the nine arts awardees have connections to The Cooper Union School of Art. Associate Professor Marie Lorenz and Josephine Halvorson A’03 were named Arts and Letters awardees. This award honors and encourages excellent creative work. Meriem Bennani A’12 was named The Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence and Jacob Lawrence Award recipient, which recognizes extraordinary achievement in the visual arts.   

For more than a century, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, whose members include leading architects, visual artists, writers, and composers, has represented the highest standards of artistic achievement in the nation. Its members nominate candidates for awards, and a rotating committee of artists select the winners. This year, Professor Coco Fusco served on the artist awards committee alongside artists Arlene Shechet (chair), Matthew Barney, and Charline von Heyl.