East Hampton - Guild Hall, the arts center on eastern Long Island, has named the recipients of the 26th Anniversary Academy of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The honorees are Dick Cavett for Performing Arts; Elizabeth Peyton for Visual Arts; Marshall Brickman for Literary Arts; and Lewis B. Cullman for Leadership and Philanthropic Endeavors.

The awards will be presented at a benefit gala dinner on Monday, March 7 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. The Master of Ceremonies is Bob Balaban, a member of Guild Hall's board of trustees, who was honored last year for his work in the performing arts.

"The Awards annually celebrate the creativity of an outstanding group of artists and visionaries on the East End whose work has consistently delighted and whose commitment to the arts has inspired us," said Roy Furman, president of Guild Hall's Academy of the Arts. "The election of these honorees by their peers, our 257 Academy members, speaks volumes for the depth of creative talent in our midst."

"What began as an idea in 1985, to recognize the talent of those with ties to Eastern Long Island, has evolved into a long standing relationship yielding support and acknowledgement of our world-class, local artistic community," adds Ruth Appelhof, executive director, Guild Hall.

Throughout the past 25 years the Academy has honored both summer and year-round East End residents who have demonstrated excellence in the visual, literary, and performing arts. Some past recipients include: Steven Spielberg, Billy Joel, Elaine Stritch, Mel Brooks and Guild Hall board member Alec Baldwin for Performing Arts; Julian Schnabel, Willem de Kooning, Roy Lichtenstein, April Gornik and Chuck Close for Visual Arts; Kurt Vonnegut, E. L. Doctorow, Edward Albee, Joseph Heller and Joe Pintauro for Literary Arts; and Special Awards to Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, and Peter Jennings, to name a few.

Tickets to the 26th Academy of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Awards start at $400 for young patrons (21 to 40 years old) and can be purchased by calling the Special Events Department at 631-324-0806. Funds raised from the Award's dinner benefit Guild Hall's mission of celebrating the artistic spirit on the East End by educating, inspiring, and enriching diverse audiences with excellent and engaging year-round programming.

Bob Balaban was the recipient of Guild Hall's 2010 Academy of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award for Performing Arts.