NYU Tisch to Honor Tisch Family at 50th Anniversary Gala

December 15, 2015: NYU Tisch School of the Arts today announced its 50th Anniversary Gala, Celebrating the Past/Creating the Future, to be held on Monday, April 4, 2016, at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall. The event will be hosted by alumni Alec Baldwin and Spike Lee and will honor the contributions of the Tisch family. All proceeds from the gala will go towards scholarship funds to support talented students for the next half century.

"When the school was founded 50 years ago, it was heralded as a daring adventure, and when the Tisch family stepped in with support, the school was propelled to its status as the premier arts training institution in the world," said Allyson Green, Dean, NYU Tisch School of the Arts. "In this anniversary year, we have celebrated our students, alumni, faculty, staff, and supporters who have been forces to create change not just in the school, but also in communities across the globe. On the occasion of our gala, we honor the entire Tisch family whose support has made it all possible."

The naming gift made in 1982 by Preston Robert Tisch and Laurence A. Tisch began a partnership between the school and the Tisch family. The relationship continues today through longtime Dean's Council members Andrew Tisch, Jonathan Tisch and Steve Tisch, who will accept the honor on behalf of the Tisch family.

"We are incredibly proud to have our family name associated with students, artists and scholars whose work provokes, challenges, educates and entertains the world. We accept this honor with thoughts of the work our fathers and mothers did so many years ago to make a night like this possible. The funds we are able to raise at this year's gala will support the next generation of artists, and that is deeply touching for our family," said Andrew Tisch, Jonathan Tisch and Steve Tisch on behalf of the Tisch family.

Celebrating the Past/Creating the Future is the culmination of a year-long celebration of the school's 50th anniversary, celebrating the impact of the NYU Tisch community on the cultural landscape over the last 50 years, and envisioning how the school can continue its legacy of excellence in arts training over the next 50 years. The celebration has featured events with NYU Tisch 50th Anniversary Artist-in-Residence Pharrell Williams and alumnus Billy Crystal, and provided unique opportunities for students, faculty, staff and alumni to highlight their own experiences at the institution.

Thousands of Tisch alumni have gone on to enjoy fulfilling careers in the arts. Tisch graduates include renowned artists such as Pulitzer Prize winners Annie Baker, Tony Kushner, Doug Wright and Chang Lee; Academy Award winners Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Marcia Gay Harden, Keiko Ibi and Ang Lee; Tony Award winners Nina Arianda, Steve Kazee, George C. Wolfe, Michael Mayer, Idina Menzel, Stephen Spinella, and Frank Wood; Emmy Award winners Alec Baldwin, Billy Crystal, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Vince Gilligan, Kristen Johnston, Camryn Manheim and Debra Messing; acclaimed filmmakers Spike Lee, Amy Heckerling, Colin Treverrow; Grammy nominee Elle Varner; entrepreneur Dennis Crowley (foursquare); MacArthur Fellowship recipients Kyle Abraham, Camille Utterback, and Mimi Lien; visual artist Leo Villareal; and actors Danai Gurira, Gina Rodriguez, and Corey Stoll.