American Academy of Arts and Letters Reveals 'Articles of Distinction' Exhibition

An exhibition titled 'Articles of Distinction' opened last month at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, running through July 3. The show features approximately one hundred artifacts from the academy's collection and archive, including Mark Twain's pipe, two metronomes belonging to composer Charles Ives, and a plaster cast of poet Robert Frost's nose. Twenty-eight of the academy's 300 current members selected favorite works and wrote accompanying wall texts, creating a display that includes paintings, prints, photographs, sheet music, artists' palettes, and various memorabilia. The exhibition showcases items connected to notable American figures such as Winslow Homer, Edith Wharton, and Jacob Lawrence. Architect Billie Tsien described the academy as 'a kind of hidden cabinet of wonders' in a video interview, noting that 'there's all kinds of weird things in the closet.' The 128-year-old honor society for distinguished writers, artists, composers, and architects organized the exhibition in its original Beaux-Arts building, inviting visitors to explore this eclectic collection.