American Academy of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters is an American national association for the arts. The National Institute of Arts and Letters, the umbrella organization, was founded in 1898 to promote the arts and literature. In 1904 the Academy of Arts and Letters was founded. The association is made up of the country's leading architects, artists, composers and writers. Today, 250 people are allowed to join the association for life. Becoming a member of the association is therefore a great honor and not for everyone. In addition, the academy awards various prizes in order to increase interest in literature, music and the fine arts.