13th Annual Fête:
Benefactors Dinner
Wednesday October 14, 2026
The Block House,
Building 9 Nolan Park
Governors Island, NY
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On October 14th, 2026 the Institute for Publice Architecture held the 13th Annual Fête Honoree Reception and Benefactors Dinner honoring two distinguished practitioners leading the conversation around public architecture, civic space, civil rights, and racial justice:
Deborah N. Archer, Associate Dean at NYU Law, President of the ACLU, and author of Dividing Lines: How Transportation Infrastructure Reinforces Racial Inequality
Billie Tsien, Architect, Founder of Studio Tsien and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
In addition to honoring Deborah and Billie, guests enjoyed an exclusive after-hours experience on Governors Island, with oysters courtesy of our partner Billion Oyster Project, followed by a lovely dinner by Great Performances. Installations by IPA Independent Project Residency Fall Fellows filled two floors of the Block House and guests had a chance to meet the Fellows and learn more about their work.
As Billie said during her remarks:
The Institute addresses the questions:
Who makes our world?
Who is welcome in our world?
In doing so it supports and protects these public places where we may convene.
The evening was a reminder of the urgent need to create public architecture and civic spaces grounded in equity and accessibility. It was also a reminder of how IPA's key programs – the unique Independent Projects Residency on Governors Island, the BQE2053 community design program, and related film screenings, workshops, and panels – contribute to this mission.
Thank you to all who attended and celebrated this ongoing work!
Benefit Committee:
John di Domenico
Nicole and Andy Bernheimer
Jonathan Kirschenfeld
Tracey Hummer
Erika Hinrichs and Frederick Biehle
Tucker Viermeister
Tom Bishop
Ellen and Fred Harris
Sponsors:
Ellen & Fred Harris
Tom Bishop
Joseph MIzzi
Elise Jaffe + Jeffrey Brown
Michelle Hobart and Justin Peyser
Jared Della Valle
Sciame Construction
TYLin
Alloy
SASAKI
Wine was generously provided courtesy of Barlume & Vineyard Brands.
Oysters courtesy of the Billion Oyster Project.
Food by Great Performances.
The Institute for Public Architecture is a 501.c.3 tax exempt organization.
Deborah N. Archer, Associate Dean at NYU Law, President of the ACLU, and author of Dividing Lines: How Transportation Infrastructure Reinforces Racial Inequality
Billie Tsien, Architect, Founder of Studio Tsien and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
In addition to honoring Deborah and Billie, guests enjoyed an exclusive after-hours experience on Governors Island, with oysters courtesy of our partner Billion Oyster Project, followed by a lovely dinner by Great Performances. Installations by IPA Independent Project Residency Fall Fellows filled two floors of the Block House and guests had a chance to meet the Fellows and learn more about their work.
As Billie said during her remarks:
The Institute addresses the questions:
Who makes our world?
Who is welcome in our world?
In doing so it supports and protects these public places where we may convene.
The evening was a reminder of the urgent need to create public architecture and civic spaces grounded in equity and accessibility. It was also a reminder of how IPA's key programs – the unique Independent Projects Residency on Governors Island, the BQE2053 community design program, and related film screenings, workshops, and panels – contribute to this mission.
Thank you to all who attended and celebrated this ongoing work!
Benefit Committee:
John di Domenico
Nicole and Andy Bernheimer
Jonathan Kirschenfeld
Tracey Hummer
Erika Hinrichs and Frederick Biehle
Tucker Viermeister
Tom Bishop
Ellen and Fred Harris
Sponsors:
Ellen & Fred Harris
Tom Bishop
Joseph MIzzi
Elise Jaffe + Jeffrey Brown
Michelle Hobart and Justin Peyser
Jared Della Valle
Sciame Construction
TYLin
Alloy
SASAKI
Wine was generously provided courtesy of Barlume & Vineyard Brands.
Oysters courtesy of the Billion Oyster Project.
Food by Great Performances.
The Institute for Public Architecture is a 501.c.3 tax exempt organization.
2026 Honorees
Deborah N. Archer is Associate Dean for Experiential Education and Clinical Programs, the Margaret B. Hoppin Professor of Law, and Faculty Director of the Community Equity Initiative at NYU Law School. Deborah is also the President of the ACLU, the first person of color to serve in that role in the organization’s history, and a nationally recognized expert on civil liberties, civil rights, and racial justice. Deborah is an award-winning teacher and legal scholar whose articles have appeared in leading law reviews and national publications, and she has offered commentary for national and international media. Prior to fulltime teaching, Deborah worked as an attorney with the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., where she litigated in the areas of voting rights, employment discrimination, educational equity, and school desegregation. Deborah also previously served as Chair of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, the nation’s oldest and largest police oversight agency.
Billie Tsien is a New York-based architect, mentor, and leading voice in the design and broader cultural community. Her approach to architecture is rooted in the spirit of collaboration with a portfolio imbued with a sense of optimism, warmth, texture, and serenity. She is a founding partner of Studio Tsien and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. In parallel to her architecture practice, Billie has taught at many institutions and is a devoted participant in many arts organizations. From 2021-2024 Billie was the Chair of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the first Asian-American and woman to hold this position. Her dedication to work and the cultural landscape at large has garnered her numerous awards including the National Medal of Arts from President Obama, the 2013 AIA Architecture Firm Award, and the 2019 Praemium Imperiale presented by the Japan Art Association. As an educator, arts advocate and practitioner, Billie is steadfast in her mission to create a better world through architecture.
