President’s Letter: April 2026

Announcement

April 13, 2026

Some of my fondest memories from my days at City Hall are rooted in moments I spent with all of you at Municipal Art Society events—gatherings like the Summit and MASterworks design awards that brought together city agency staff like me with designers, artists, and advocates to celebrate the people and projects that make New York City a place we all love. Whether learning more about how our city works, exchanging ideas, or simply reconnecting with friends and colleagues—from parkies to MAS staff—I always left inspired, energized, and more deeply committed to public service.

That spirit of connection and inspiration is exactly what makes MAS so vital. For decades, MAS has served as a convener of cross-disciplinary conversations and experiences—from exploring climate solutions to spotlighting groundbreaking architecture and public art, to uplifting films that illuminate urgent social justice issues. These gatherings both reflect and shape the best of New York.
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That is why I am excited to bring back Celebrating the City on April 21 at the Museum of the City of New York for the first time since 2019.

Keri Butler and Justin Garrett Moore, Celebrating the City: The 2017 MAS Awards at El Museo del Barrio. Photo Credit: MAS.

Celebrating the City honors new contributions to New York’s built environment with our Brendan Gill Prize and MASterworks Design Awards. At a time when New York faces profound challenges, it is important to highlight the projects and the people that embody its endless possibilities.

Events like Celebrating the City connect civic leaders, designers, artists, and advocates to spark new ideas, new partnerships, and renewed civic commitment. They remind us that progress is possible when we come together across disciplines and perspectives, united by a shared belief in the promise of New York.

When we celebrate well-planned urban design, thoughtful preservation, and inspirational public art, we affirm the values that should guide how our city grows and evolves and remind ourselves that the city we want is not an abstract idea, but something we build together through intention, creativity, and care.

I hope you will join us on April 21 as we celebrate the city we are building—and the one we know is within reach.

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