National Heritage Fellowship

The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award,[1] the Fellowship is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.[2][3] It is a one-time only award and fellows must be living citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Each year, fellowships are presented to between nine and fifteen artists or groups at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

National Heritage Fellowship
Awarded forLifetime achievement in folk or traditional arts
LocationWashington, D.C.
CountryUnited States
Presented byNational Endowment for the Arts
Reward(s)$25,000
First awarded1982
Last awardedpresent
Websitehttps://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage 

The Fellows are nominated by individual citizens, with an average of over 200 nominations per year. From that pool of candidates, recommendations are made by a rotating panel of specialists, including one layperson, as well as folklorists and others with a variety of forms of cultural expertise. The recommendations are then reviewed by the National Council on the Arts, with the final decisions made by the chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts.[4] As of 2019, 440 artists in a wide variety of fields have received Fellowships.[5]

History

The program was officially founded in 1982 by Bess Lomax Hawes, the first director of the Folk and Traditional Arts Program at the NEA,[6] following a five-year period of development.[4] In 1982, the monetary award associated with the Fellowship was $5,000;[1] in 1993, it was increased to $10,000 and since 2009, the award amount is $25,000, which is considered "enough to make a difference, but not enough to go to anyone's head".[4] Each recipient receives a certificate of honor, the monetary award, and a congratulatory letter from the President of the United States.

The annual recognition events are held in the Fall and consist of an awards ceremony, a banquet, and a concert that is open to the public. Over the years, the awards ceremony has been held at different locations in the US capitol city, including the NEA headquarters, Ford's Theatre, George Washington University,[1] the Library of Congress,[7] and for the first time at the White House in 1995.[8] Since 2000, the banquet has been held in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress.[4] The concert features musical performances, craft demonstrations, and interviews with the honorees.[7] Masters of ceremonies at the concerts have included folksinger Pete Seeger, actress Ruby Dee, author Studs Terkel, journalist Charles Kuralt, and since 1997 Nick Spitzer, the host of public radio program American Routes.[4] Beginning in 2010, the Fellowship concerts have been streamed live on the NEA website and archived on YouTube.

In 2000, the NEA instituted the Bess Lomax Hawes Award in conjunction with the Fellowships, "given to an individual for achievements in fostering excellence, ensuring vitality, and promoting public appreciation of the folk and traditional arts".[7] The Hawes Award has been given annually since 2000 to recognize "artists whose contributions, primarily through teaching, advocacy, and organizing and preserving important repertoires, have greatly benefited their artistic tradition. It also recognizes individuals, such as producers and activists, who have comprehensively increased opportunities for and public visibility of traditional artists."[4]

Publications
  • A companion volume titled American Folk Masters: The National Heritage Fellows was published in 1992 to accompany a traveling exhibition (1991–1994) called "America's Living Folk Traditions" that featured the artistry of 36 Fellowship recipients.[1][9]
  • A two-volume biographical dictionary of the award winners from the first 20 years was published in 2001, titled Masters of Traditional Arts.[10]
  • A young readers book featuring five of the National Heritage Fellows entitled Extraordinary Ordinary People: Five American Masters of Traditional Arts was published in 2006.[11]

Winners

Awardees have included Native American basket weavers, African American blues musicians, traditional fiddlers, Mexican American accordionists, and all manner of traditional artisans and performers of numerous ethnic backgrounds.

1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990

1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000

2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010

2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020

National Heritage Fellowship winners are:

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993
  • Santiago Almeida, conjunto musician
  • Kenny Baker, bluegrass fiddler
  • Inez Catalon, French Creole singer
  • Nicholas & Elena Charles, Yupik woodcarvers, maskmakers, and skinsewers
  • Charles Hankins, boatbuilder
  • Nalani Kanaka'ole & Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahel, hula masters
  • Everett Kapayou, Mesquakie singer
  • McIntosh County Shouters, spiritual/shout performers
  • Elmer Miller, bit & spur maker/silversmith
  • Jack Owens, blues singer and guitarist
  • Mone & Vanxay Saenphimmachak, weavers, needleworkers, and loommakers
  • Liang-xing Tang, pipa player

1994

1995

1996
  • Obo Addy, drummer
  • Betty Pisio Christenson, egg decorator
  • Paul Dahlin, fiddler
  • Juan Gutiérrez, drummer
  • Solomon & Richard Ho'opi'I, Hawaiian singers
  • Will Keys, banjo player
  • Joaquin Flores Lujan, blacksmith
  • Eva McAdams, Shoshone regalia maker
  • John Mealing & Cornelius Wright, Jr., railroad worksong singers
  • Vernon Owens, stoneware potter
  • Dolly Spencer, Inupiat dollmaker

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004
  • Anjani Ambegaokar, Kathak dancer
  • Charles "Chuck" T. Campbell, Gospel steel guitarist
  • Joe Derrane, Irish-American button accordionist
  • Jerry Douglas, Dobro player
  • Gerald "Subiyay" Miller, Skokomish tradition bearer, carver, basket maker
  • Chum Ngek, Cambodian musician and teacher
  • Milan Opacich, Tamburitza instrument maker
  • Eliseo Rodriguez and Paula Rodriguez, husband and wife straw appliqué artists
  • Koko Taylor, blues musician
  • Yuqin Wang and Zhengli Xu, Chinese rod puppeteers[19]

2005

2006

2007

2008
  • Horace Axtell, Nez Perce drum maker, singer, tradition-bearer
  • Dale Harwood, saddlemaker
  • Bettye Kimbrell, quilter
  • Jeronimo E. Lozano, Peruvian retablo maker
  • Oneida Hymn Singers of Wisconsin
  • Sue Yeon Park, Korean dancer and musician
  • Moges Seyoum, Ethiopian liturgical minister and scholar
  • Jelon Vieira, Capoeira master
  • Dr. Michael White, traditional jazz musician and bandleader
  • Mac Wiseman, Bluegrass musician
  • Walter Murray Chiesa, traditional arts specialist and advocate

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

[22]

  • Henry Arquette, Mohawk basketmaker
  • Manuel "Cowboy" Donley, Tejano musician and singer
  • Kevin Doyle, Irish step dancer
  • The Holmes Brothers, blues, gospel, and R&B band
  • Yvonne Walker Keshick, Odawa quill artist[23]
  • Carolyn Mazloomi, quilting community advocate
  • Vera Nakonechny, Ukrainian embroiderer and bead worker
  • Singing & Praying Bands of Maryland and Delaware, African-American religious singers
  • Rufus White, Omaha traditional singer and drum group leader

2015

[24]

2016
  • Bryan Akipa, Dakota flute maker and player
  • Monk Boudreaux, Mardi Gras Indian craftsman and musician
  • Billy McComiskey, Irish button accordionist
  • Artemio Posadas, Master Huastecan son musician and advocate
  • Clarissa Rizal, Tlingit ceremonial regalia maker[25]
  • Theresa Secord, Penobscot Nation ash/sweetgrass basketmaker
  • Bounxeung Synanonh, Laotian khaen player
  • Michael Vlahovich, master shipwright
  • Leona Waddell, white oak basketmaker

2017

2018
  • Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim, Palestinian embroiderer
  • Eddie Bond, Appalachian fiddler
  • Kelly Church, Gun Lake Band Potawatomi black ash basket maker
  • Marion Coleman, African American quilter
  • Manuel Cuevas, Mexican-American rodeo tailor
  • Ofelia Esparza, Chicana altarista (Day of the Dead altar maker)
  • Barbara Lynn, African American R&B guitarist
  • Don and Cindy Roy, French-American musicians
  • Ethel Raim, advocate for customary music and dance.[26]

2019

[5]

  • Dan Ansotegui, Basque musician and tradition bearer
  • Grant Bulltail, Crow storyteller
  • Linda Goss, African-American storyteller
  • James F. Jackson, leatherworker
  • Balla Kouyaté, balafon player and djeli
  • Josephine Lobato, Spanish colcha embroiderer
  • Rich Smoker, decoy carver
  • Las Tesoros de San Antonio: Beatriz "La Paloma del Norte" Llamas and Blanquita "Blanca Rosa" Rodríguez, Tejano singers
  • Bob Fulcher, folklorist

2020

[27]

  • William Bell, soul singer and songwriter
  • Onnik Dinkjian, Armenian folk and liturgical singer
  • Zakarya and Naomi Diouf, West African diasporic dancers
  • Karen Ann Hoffman, Iroquois raised beadworker
  • Los Matachines de la Santa Cruz de la Ladrillera, traditional religious dancers
  • John Morris, old-time fiddler and banjo player
  • Suni Paz, Nueva Canción singer and songwriter
  • Wayne Valliere, birchbark canoe builder
  • Hugo N. Morales, radio producer and radio network builder

References
  1. Siporin, Steve (1992). "Introduction". American Folk Masters: The National Heritage Fellows. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. in association with The Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM. pp. 14–21. ISBN 0810919176. OCLC 24699109.
  2. "National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2013 NEA National Heritage Fellowship Recipients". US Fed News Service. Washington, DC. June 6, 2013. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  3. Lane, Sarah (September 24, 2015). "Daniel Sheehy Named National Heritage Fellow". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. p. Metro section, T23. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  4. "National Heritage Fellowships 30th Anniversary" (PDF). arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  5. "National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2019 National Heritage Fellows". arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. June 18, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  6. Sullivan, Patricia (December 2, 2009). "Bess Lomax Hawes, 88; folklorist, performer, NEA official". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  7. "NEA National Heritage Fellows Fact Sheet" (PDF). arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. September 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  8. Trescott, Jacqueline (September 28, 1995). "First Lady Defends NEA: Art Fellowships Presented at the White House". The Washington Post. p. Style section, C03.
  9. Sullivan, Meg (July 3, 1992). "Keeping Traditional Crafts Alive". Daily News of Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA. p. L.A. Life Section, L45.
  10. Govenar, Alan (2001). Masters of Traditional Arts: A Biographical Dictionary. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio. ISBN 1576072401.
  11. Govenar, Alan B. (2006). Extraordinary Ordinary People: Five American Masters of Traditional Arts. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763620479.
  12. 1989 NEA National Heritage Fellow: Chesley Goseyun Wilson Archived October 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, National Endowment for the Arts (USA)
  13. Colker, David (October 4, 2014). "Musician Nati Cano dies at 81; leader of Mariachi los Camperos". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  14. "Jerry Brown". arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  15. Broadfoot, Jan. "Twentieth-Century Tar Heels," Broadfoot's of Wendell, 2004.
  16. "Fatima Kuinova". arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  17. Jason Ankeny. "Elder Roma Wilson". AllMusic. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  18. "Lifetime Honors: Bruce Caesar." Archived September 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine National Endowment for the Arts. (retrieved August 6, 2011)
  19. "News | NEA". Nea.gov. February 5, 2014. Archived from the original on September 21, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  20. "Big Joe Duskin; Bluesman who flourished in later life – obituary by Tony Russell". The Guardian. London. June 19, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  21. "About Ka'upena Wong". Coconutinfo.com. February 7, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  22. "NEA Announces Lifetime Honors Recipients". arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  23. Yohe, Jill Ahlberg; Greeves, Teri (2019). Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists. Minneapolis Institute of Art in association with the University of Washington Press. p. 131. ISBN 9780295745794. LCCN 2018967294. Keshick refers to her practice as 'quill art' rather than 'quill work,' both to assert the aesthetic significance of her creations and to firmly position this artistic practice as a valued art form.
  24. "NEA Announces Recipients of Nation's Highest Award in the Folk and Traditional Arts". arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. June 9, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  25. "National Endowment for the Arts Statement on the Death of Clarissa Rizal, 2016 National Heritage Fellow". National Endowment for the Arts. NEA. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  26. "National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2018 National Heritage Fellows". National Endowment for the Arts. June 20, 2018.
  27. "National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2020 Recipients of Nation's Highest Honor in the Folk and Traditional Arts". National Endowment for the Arts. June 23, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
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