President Bush Announces 2006 National Medal of Arts Recipients

November 8, 2006

			Contact: Victoria Hutter (NEA) 202-682-5692 hutterv@arts.gov

Washington, D.C. - President George W. Bush will honor the recipients of the 2006 National Medal of Arts on Thursday, November 9. Ten medals will be presented by the President and Mrs. Laura Bush in an Oval Office ceremony at the White House. The National Endowment for the Arts manages the National Medal of Arts nomination process and notified the artists of their selection to receive a medal, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence.

"These individuals and organizations have all made enduring contributions to the artistic life of our nation," said National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia. "Whether by translating the masterpieces of Latin American literature or bringing genius to the design of everyday objects or simply preserving the great musical heritage of New Orleans, their work has enriched our national culture."

The 2006 National Medal of Arts Recipients

William Bolcom, classical composer, Ann Arbor, MI
Cyd Charisse, dancer, Los Angeles, CA
Roy R. DeCarava, photographer, Brooklyn, NY
Wilhelmina Holladay, arts patron, Washington, DC
Interlochen Center for the Arts, school of fine arts, Interlochen, MI
Erich Kunzel, conductor, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Cincinnati, OH
Preservation Hall Jazz Band, jazz ensemble, New Orleans, LA
Gregory Rabassa, literary translator, Brooklyn, NY
Viktor Schreckengost, industrial designer/sculptor, Cleveland, OH
Dr. Ralph Stanley, bluegrass musician, Coeburn, VA

President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush stand recipients with the 2006 National Medal of Arts in the Oval Office Thursday, Nov., 9, 2006. Pictured from left, they are: Ben Jaffe and his mother Sandra Jaffe, director and co-founder of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band; Literary Translator Gregory Rabassa; Dancer Cyd Charisse; Photographer Roy DeCarava; Industrial Designer Viktor Schreckengost; Musician Dr. Ralph Stanley; Arts patron Wilhelmina Holladay; Composer William Bolcom; Interlochen Center for the Arts CEO Jeffrey Kimpton; and NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. White House photo by Paul Morse

The National Medal of Arts, established by Congress in 1984, is awarded by the President to those who have made extraordinary 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.

The National Endowment for the Arts gratefully acknowledges The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities for its support of the 2006 National Medal of Arts.

Please see additional information on the National Medal of Arts on the NEA web site.

For more information, contact the National Endowment for the Arts Communications Office at 202-682-5570.

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