The National Arts Club to Present Free Arts Programs And Exhibitions This November
Playwrights David Henry Hwang and Moisés Kaufman to receive Medal of Honor for Achievement in Theatre.
By: A.A. Cristi Oct. 07, 2025
The National Arts Club (NAC) continues its 2025–26 season with a dynamic month of free public programming in November, featuring events across literature, music, archaeology, fashion, film, and theatre.
All programs and exhibitions take place at the Club’s landmark home at 15 Gramercy Park South and are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
MEDAL OF HONOR FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN THEATRE
Honoring David Henry Hwang & Moisés Kaufman
November 10 at 6 p.m.
The NAC will honor two of theatre’s most acclaimed contemporary voices—David Henry Hwang and Moisés Kaufman—with its Medal of Honor for Achievement in Theatre.
Hwang, the Tony and Grammy Award-winning author of M. Butterfly, Yellow Face, and Chinglish, is a three-time Obie Award recipient and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. Kaufman, a 2015 National Medal of Arts recipient and Obie and Lucille Lortel Award winner, is known for The Laramie Project and Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.
This event is event is a paid, invitation-only program.
NOVEMBER PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
“Visualizing Time” with Stephen Wilkes – November 7 at 7 p.m.
Photographer and filmmaker Stephen Wilkes presents a visual journey through five decades of work, from his iconic Ellis Island series to his innovative Day to Night™ panoramas that capture the passage of time in a single frame.
“The Spinach King”: An Evening with John Seabrook – November 8 at 8 p.m.
New Yorker writer John Seabrook discusses The Spinach King, his New York Times Editor’s Choice book chronicling his family’s rise from farmland to fortune and the intrigue that followed.
The Extraordinary Belle Glade Archaeological Culture of South Florida – November (6:30 p.m.)
Archaeologist Jerald T. Milanich explores the Belle Glade culture, which began around 1000 BCE, and how modern LiDAR technology reveals new insights into its earthworks and canals.
Artist Fellow Nathan Meltzer, Violin: Mystery Sonatas – November 18 at 7 p.m.
Violinist Nathan Meltzer, NAC Artist Fellow and international competition laureate, performs Biber’s Mystery Sonatas, featuring rare Baroque tunings and a mix of period and modern instruments.
“Buckley: The Life and The Revolution That Changed America” – November (8 p.m.)
Author Sam Tanenhaus discusses his definitive biography of conservative icon William F. Buckley, in conversation with New York Times critic Dwight Garner.
Emery Roth’s New York Apartment Houses – November (7:30 p.m.)
Architectural historian Andrew Alpern examines Roth’s defining contributions to the New York skyline, including the San Remo and the Beresford.
FashionSpeak Fridays: The Evolution of Paul Stuart Style – November (6:30 p.m.)
Ralph Auriemma, Creative Director of Paul Stuart, traces the brand’s evolution from Savile Row-inspired tailoring to timeless New York sophistication.
“Vanishing Point,” a Film by Hans Op de Beeck – November (7 p.m.)
Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck presents his black-and-white video meditation Vanishing Point, preceded by a recorded artist conversation.
Lanka – The Crucial Hub of the Ancient Maritime Silk Road (Virtual) – November (12 p.m.)
Diplomat and scholar Dr. Palitha Kohona explores Sri Lanka’s pivotal role in the ancient Southern Maritime Silk Route.
All events are first come, first served unless otherwise indicated.
EXHIBITIONS
Influence and Identity: Twentieth Century Portrait Photography from the Bank of America Collection
On view through November 26, 2025
This major exhibition features 83 portraits from the 1920s to the 1960s, showcasing figures such as Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, and Miles Davis. The show also honors the NAC’s historical ties to artists including Salvador Dalí, Inge Morath, and Alfred Stieglitz.
29 NEIGHBORS, NYC: Over a Century of Artists on East 19th Street
East + West Gallery | October 29–November 26
Curated by NAC member Roger Rosen, this exhibition features 29 artists who lived or worked on 19th Street, including George Bellows, Ad Reinhardt, Yayoi Kusama, and Rashid Johnson.
Exhibitions are open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. and weekends, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CLUB
Founded in 1898, the National Arts Club is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering public engagement with the arts. The Club presents more than 150 free programs annually, spanning theatre, music, literature, visual arts, and design, reaching over 25,000 audience members each year.
For more information and a full schedule of events, visit nacnyc.org.
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