President Bush Announces 2004 National Medal of Arts Recipients

November 17, 2004

		Contact: Victoria Hutter (NEA) 202-682-5570

Washington, D.C. - President George W. Bush today announced the recipients of the 2004 National Medal of Arts. Eight medals were presented by the President and Mrs. Laura Bush in an Oval Office ceremony at the White House this afternoon. The National Endowment for the Arts notified the artists of their selection to receive a National Medal of Arts, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence.

"These eight individuals have significantly enriched the cultural life of our nation through their creativity, teaching, and beneficent work." said Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. "Whether through the imaginative realm of science fiction, the poignant strains of opera, compelling verse, inspiring choreography, or other artistic forms, these artists and this foundation have given us new ways of understanding and delighting in the world.”

The 2004 National Medal of Arts Recipients

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, philanthropic foundation, New York, NY
Ray Bradbury, author, Los Angeles, CA
Carlisle Floyd, opera composer, Houston, TX
Frederick Hart, sculptor, (deceased)
Anthony Hecht, poet, (deceased)
John Ruthven, wildlife artist, Georgetown, OH
Vincent Scully, architectural historian and educator, New Haven, CT
Twyla Tharp, choreographer, artistic director, dancer, New York, NY

The 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 Endowment seeks nominations from individuals and organizations across the country. The National Council on the Arts, the 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 2004 National Medal of Arts.

For more information on the National Medal of Arts , visit http://www.arts.gov/honors/medals/

2004 Medalist Twyla Tharp with NEA Chairman Dana Gioia and National Council on the Arts member Mary Costa. Photo by Victoria Hutter.		President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush with 2004 Medalist Ray Bradbury in the Oval Office. White House photo by Susan Sterner.

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