The Art Students League of New York will honor internationally renowned artists Ai Weiwei and Greg Wyatt at its 2014 Hall of Fame Gala at the Metropolitan Club (1 East 60th Street, NY, NY) on October 9th at 6:30 pm.   Since its founding in 1875, League artists from Frederick Remington and Norman Rockwell, to Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollack, Louise Bourgeois, and Cy Twombly, have shaped the course of art around the world.   Ai and Wyatt, contemporary League artists, continue that tradition today.

 “This year’s honorees represent the highest values of our venerable institution” said Executive Director Ira Goldberg. “Greg Wyatt has devoted his career to revitalizing the tradition of the public square as a place of contemplation.  He has done so with sculpture in major public venues around the world, from Arlington National Cemetery to the Shakespeare garden in Stratford-on-Avon to Peking University in Beijing.   He is equally dedicated as an instructor and benefactor to students who intend to make art a profession.  We honor Ai Weiwei for creating art to bring awareness to the world of injustice and its consequences, for his commitment as an artist to serving the people, and for proving that art still has the power to transform us, to expand our understanding of the human condition, not through the use of words, but through the eyes, heart and mind of a visual poet.”

Ai is among the world’s most provocative and accomplished living artists.  An outspoken human rights activist and social critic, he studied at the League from 1983 to 1986.   Among his best-known works are his collaboration on the design for the Beijing National Olympic Stadium and his October 2010 installation of Sunflower Seeds at the Tate Modern in London.  He is currently prohibited from leaving China, but may appear via satellite at the gala.

Wyatt is a League instructor, benefactor, and the founder of the League’s Model to Monument public art training program.   His lyrical cast bronze sculptures, including “Peace Fountain” at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City and “The Price of Freedom” at Arlington National Cemetery, grace locations worldwide from Cambridge, MA to Charleston, S.C., and throughout Italy.

In addition to celebrating the League’s rich heritage and worldwide influence, the gala will spotlight talented students who will be sculpting and painting from live models at the event. 

The Gala will feature a preliminary model exploring the planned expansion of the League’s landmark building on West 57th Street.

As a remembrance of the evening, guests will receive a unique ceramic piece from League artists Morito Yasumitsu and Anne Richter.

Tickets for the event cost $500 (50% tax deductible), with 10-seat tables available for $5,000, which may be purchased through NYCharities.

For more information, visit the gala’s website or contact Leah McCloskey at leah@artstudentsleague.org.

About the Art Students League 

Founded in 1875 by artists and for artists, the Art Students League of New York has been instrumental in shaping America's legacy in the fine arts. Many renowned artists have honed their skills at the League, which is dedicated to sustaining the great tradition of training artists. Today, more than 2,500 students of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels, study at the League each month. 

Contact:

Ken Park, kpark@artstudentsleague.org, 212-247-4510, x165

Ilyse Fink, ifink@lakpr.com, 212-575-4545

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