The National Academy is one of the country's oldest art organizations, founded in 1825 by artists Samuel F. B. Morse, Thomas Cole, and Asher B. Durand as a place to exhibit and teach art. Each year, artists and architects are named by their peers as National Academicians. Recent members include Siah Armajani, Wendy Evans Joseph, Jeanne Gang, Robert Gober, Michaels Graves, Bruce Nauman, Joel Shapiro, Cindy Sherman, Richard Tuttle, and Bill Viola.
The Museum includes over 7,000 works from artist members, representing two centuries of innovative ideas and approaches to American art and architecture. Newly enhanced galleries showcase exceptional art from the Hudson River School to contemporary classics. The National Academy is located on Museum Mile in the former Huntington Mansion on Fifth Avenue.
The National Academy School has included students such as Winslow Homer, George Inness, Arshile Gorky, and Willem de Kooning. The Academy School offers studio-based study in an intimate, creative environment under the mentorship of working faculty artists who support the artistic journey of each student.