Remembering Frank Gehry

The ASU+GSV community mourns the passing of legendary architect, artist, and education advocate Frank Gehry.

We were deeply honored to recognize Frank as our GSV Lifetime Achievement Award honoree in 2016, celebrating not only a career that reshaped the very language of architecture, but a life devoted to creativity, curiosity, and teaching. From the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles to the Gehry Bandshell in Chicago and the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, his work became global landmarks that expanded what architecture could be.

Vanity Fair once called Frank “the most important architect of our age.” He was the 1989 Pritzker Prize winner—the highest honor in architecture—and in 2016, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

He had an absolute passion for defending the transformational power of the arts in K-12 education—especially in high-poverty, low-performing public schools.

As a co-founder, funder, and board member of Turnaround Arts California, the state affiliate program of the national initiative, Frank was instrumental in inspiring students, empowering teachers, and engaging families through art and creativity.

Deep thanks, as always, to our longtime partner and friend Alan Arkatov for introducing his dear friend Frank to the ASU+GSV Summit, where Frank spoke movingly about creativity and the life-changing power of arts education:

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‍Frank Gehry’s extraordinary legacy is a monument to beauty, boldness, and breaking the bounds of what’s possible—and his inimitable impact will be felt for generations to come.

With respect and remembrance,

The ASU+GSV Team