The arts have the power to inspire, uplift, and change the world. They can bring peopletogether, spark creativity, and help us to understand ourselves and our place in the universe.
To celebrate the power of the arts, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awards the National Medal of Arts to individuals or groups who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the arts in the United States.
The National Medal of Arts is the highest honor that the United States government bestows on artists and arts patrons. It is awarded in the following categories: architecture, dance, design, literature, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts.
Past recipients of the National Medal of Arts include some of the most celebrated artists in American history, such as:
- Maya Angelou
- Leonard Bernstein
- Aaron Copland
- Bob Dylan
- Martha Graham
- John F. Kennedy
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Barack Obama
- Pablo Picasso
- Richard Rogers
- Steven Spielberg
- Meryl Streep
- Frank Lloyd Wright
The National Medal of Arts is a testament to the power of creativity and the importance of the arts in our society. It is a celebration of the human spirit and the transformative power of the arts.
