The Institute of Fine Arts (IFA) at New York University tonight will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a black-tie dinner honoring real estate developer, patron of the arts, and philanthropist Sheldon H. Solow, an IFA Emeritus Trustee and an NYU Life Trustee. The dinner will be held Tuesday, May 20 at the IFA, located at 1 East 78th Street, and is by invitation only. Jean-Louis Cohen, Sheldon H. Solow Professor in the History of Architecture at the IFA, will pay special tribute to the honoree.
The Institute of Fine Arts (IFA) at New York University tonight will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a black-tie dinner honoring real estate developer, patron of the arts, and philanthropist Sheldon H. Solow, an IFA Emeritus Trustee and an NYU Life Trustee. The dinner will be held Tuesday, May 20 at the IFA, located at 1 East 78th Street, and is by invitation only. Jean-Louis Cohen, Sheldon H. Solow Professor in the History of Architecture at the IFA, will pay special tribute to the honoree.
It is very fitting that we should mark the 75th anniversary of the Institute of Fine Arts by honoring Sheldon Solow, a wonderful friend and benefactor of the Institute for more than 25 years, said Judy Steinhardt, chairman of the Board of Trustees at IFA. His long association with IFA includes the chairmanship of its Board for ten years, during which time he spearheaded important efforts to improve our physical plant. He oversaw a sensitive restoration of the grand façade of IFAs Duke House that recaptured the buildings beauty and splendor. His naming gift for the eventual creation of the Sheldon H. Solow Library and Study Center fulfills a most crucial need for our faculty and students. Moreover, his generosity made it possible for IFA to build its program in modern and contemporary art and architecture with two endowed professorships.
The Brooklyn-born Solow, an IFA Trustee since 1987, served as chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1993 to 2003 and was elected Emeritus Trustee in 2003. He became an NYU Trustee in 1991, and was elected a Life Trustee in 2003. Solow has been a builder and owner of residential and commercial properties in New York City since 1950, and his buildings have set new standards of excellence in design and the application of innovative technology. With unimpeded views of Central Park, Solows distinctive office tower at 9 West 57th Street is one of the most desirable commercial addresses in the United States and is an iconic piece of the New York City landscape.
Over the years, The Sheldon H. Solow Foundation and the Solow Art and Architecture Foundation have given to a number of philanthropic initiatives, including programs in arts, education, architecture, and libraries. Solows civic affiliations include the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, the Real Estate Board of New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Israel Institute of Technology, and the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Greater New York, among others.