Others who will be recognized at the event are:
National Medal of Arts recipients:
- Robert Brustein—American theatre playwright, producer, critic and educator
- Van Cliburn–pianist
- Mark di Suvero—“one of the most prominent American artists to emerge from the Abstract Expressionist era. Exhibited throughout the world”
- Donald Hall—American poet
- Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival—America’s longest running dance festival
- Quincy Jones—American musician, composer, record producer, and arranger of mixed music genres
- Harper Lee—Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist
- Sonny Rollins—American jazz musician
- Meryl Streep—American actress
- James Taylor—American musician
National Humanities medal recipients:
- Daniel Aaron—Founder of the Library of America
- Bernard Bailyn—Historian of American Atlantic
- Jacques Barzun—Distinguished scholar, educator, and public intellectual
- Wendell E. Berry–poet, novelist, farmer, and conservationist (and Kentuckian)
- Roberto González Echevarría–Spanish and Latin American literary critic
- Stanley Nider Katz—President of American Council of Learned Societies
- Joyce Carol Oates—American author of more than 50 novels
- Arnold Rampersad—Biographer, literary critic
- Philip Roth—Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 24 novels
- Gordon Wood—Historian and author specializing in America’s early beginnings.
Note: Harper Lee, Meryl Streep, Daniel Aaron and Jacques Barzun are not expected to be in attendance.
According to the National Endowment of Arts website, the National Medal of Arts is “the highest award given to artists and art patrons by the United States Government.” The website also states that more than 250 individuals have received the medal over the past 26 years. Areas recognized are arts education, crafts, dance, drawing, film, graphic/product design, interior design, landscape architecture, literature, classical and popular music, painting, patrons/advocates, photography, presenting, printmaking, sculpture, theater and urban design.
