Municipal Art Society

The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) is a private, non-profit membership organization that aggressively champions excellence in urban design and planning and the preservation of the best of New York's past. The Society believes that the physical city - its light, air, land and open spaces - and its sensible development are critical to New York's continued economic health and social well-being.

Founded over a century ago by a group of architects, mural painters, sculptors and civic leaders, the Society’s initial goal was to further beautify New York through the use of public art. Advocacy efforts led to the creation of the nation’s first zoning ordinance in 1916, a pioneering landmarks preservation law in 1965 and the Percent for Art program. The Society is the progenitor of many civic and preservation organizations, such as the City Planning Commission, the Art Commission, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the Landmarks Conservancy and the Historic Districts Council, and is the inspiration for like-minded groups in other cities across the nation.

Many of the basic amenities of urban life we now take for granted, that make it possible to live, work and refresh the mind and body, exist because of the Society's pioneering work. Think of Grand Central Terminal, Radio City Music Hall, historic Greenwich Village, countless monuments and murals in public places and the Landmarks Law itself -- all exist and/or have been protected because of the Municipal Art Society.

The Municipal Art Society of New York is physically located in the heart of midtown Manhattan in The Urban Center at the landmarked Villard Houses. The Urban Center houses the offices of the Society, the Architectural League and the Parks Council as well as Urban Center Books, New York City's leading bookstore for architecture and related arts.