Eleven Artists to Receive Nation's Highest Honor in the Folk and Traditional Arts

		Contact: Victoria Hutter 202.682.5692 hutterv@arts.gov

August 30, 2006

Washington, D.C. - Eleven master artists from around the country arrive in Washington, DC the week of September 11 for a series of celebratory events to honor their receipt of a 2006 National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. The fellowship is the nation's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Representing a cross-section of cultures and arts forms, these awardees were chosen for their artistic excellence, cultural authenticity, and contributions to their field. The fellowship includes a one-time award of $20,000.

Capitol Hill Award Ceremony

NEA Chairman Dana Gioia and Members of Congress will present the 2006 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowships in a Capitol Hill ceremony on Thursday, September 14 at 10:00 a.m. in the Cannon Caucus Room (Room 345) in the Cannon House Office Building, located at 1st Street and Independence Ave., SE. Photographs of the Capitol Hill ceremony will be distributed via email shortly after the event.

Free Concert

The following evening, Friday, September 15, at 7:30 p.m, the fellows will perform at the Music Center at Strathmore, located at 5301 Tuckerman Lane in Bethesda. Please note: this is a new location for the concert. Nick Spitzer, host of PRI's "American Routes,” will emcee this exciting evening of mini performances, visual art displays, and artist interviews.

Tickets are available from three locations: the Music Center at Strathmore Ticket Office, 301-581-5100 or www.strathmore.org; TICKETplace, 407 Seventh Street, NW, 202-842-5387, www.ticketplace.org; and the House of Musical Traditions, 7040 Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland, 301-270-9090.

2006 NEA National Heritage Fellowship Recipients

Charles M. Carrillo: santero (carver and painter of sacred figures); Santa Fe, NM
Delores E. Churchill: Haida (Native Alaskan) weaver, Ketchikan, AK
Henry Gray: blues piano player, singer; Baton Rouge, LA
Doyle Lawson: gospel and bluegrass singer, arranger, bandleader; Bristol, TN
Esther Martinez: Native American storyteller; Ohkay Owingeh, NM
Diomedes Matos: cuatro (10-string Puerto Rican guitar) maker; Deltona, FL
George Na'ope: Kumu Hula (hula master); Hilo, HI
Wilho Saari: Finnish kantele (lap-harp) player; Naselle, WA
Mavis Staples: gospel, rhythm and blues singer; Chicago, IL
Treme Brass Band: New Orleans brass band; New Orleans, LA

2006 Bess Lomax Hawes Award
Nancy Sweezy: advocate, scholar, presenter, and preservationist , Westwood, MA

The NEA National Heritage Fellowships program is made possible through the support of the Darden Restaurants Foundation and the Darden family of restaurants -- Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, and Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill. The NEA National Heritage events are produced in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts. The concert is presented in partnership with Strathmore and WAMU-88.5 FM provides media sponsorship.

For more information on the NEA National Heritage Fellowships, including bios, photos, and audio interviews with the fellowship recipients, please go to www.nea.gov/honors/heritage/.

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