President Barack Obama today presented the National Medal of Arts to ten recipients for their outstanding achievements and support of the arts. The medals were presented by the president and Mrs. Michelle Obama in an East Room ceremony at the White House. The National Medal of Arts is a White House initiative managed by the National Endowment for the Arts. Each year, the NEA organizes and oversees the National Medal of Arts nomination process and notifies the artists of their selection to receive a medal, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence.
"These individuals and organizations show us how many ways art works every day. They represent the breadth and depth of American architecture, design, film, music, performance, theatre, and visual art," said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. "This lifetime honor recognizes their exceptional contributions, and I join the President and the country in saluting them."
The 2009 National Medal of Arts Recipients
Individuals
Bob Dylan, Singer, Songwriter *
Duluth, MN
Clint Eastwood, Director, Actor *
San Francisco, CA
Milton Glaser, Graphic Designer
New York, NY
Maya Lin, Artist, Designer
Athens, OH
Rita Moreno, Singer, Dancer, Actress
Humacao, Puerto Rico
Jessye Norman, Soprano
Augusta, GA
Hon. Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Arts Patron, Design Advocate
Charleston, SC
Frank Stella, Painter, Sculptor
Malden, MA
Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductor
Los Angeles, CA
John Williams, Composer, Conductor
Queens, NY
* Not able to attend
Organizations
The Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Conservatory, Oberlin, OH
The School of American Ballet, Ballet School, New York, NY
The National Medal of Arts, established by Congress in 1984, is awarded by the President and managed by the National Endowment for the Arts. Award recipients are selected based on their contributions to the creation, growth, and support of the arts in the United States. Each year, the Arts Endowment seeks nominations from individuals and organizations across the country. The National Council on the Arts, the Arts Endowment's presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed advisory body, reviews the nominations and provides recommendations to the President, who selects the recipients.
Watch the video of the ceremony