2010 National Medal of Arts

Mark di Suvero
Sculptor
Shanghai, China

Mark di Suvero is one of the most prominent American artists to emerge from the Abstract Expressionist era and his sculptures have appeared in museums and outdoor public settings around the world. After being critically injured, di Suvero learned to operate a crane and use an electric arc welder, creating monumental steel sculptures fashioned from industrial materials and found objects. In 1975 he became the first living artist to have his work shown in the Tuileries Gardens in Paris.

Di Suvero was a founding member of the Park Place Gallery and ConStruct, both artist-owned galleries, and has shown commitment to emerging artists through the Athena Foundation and the Socrates Sculpture Park. Di Suvero has received International Sculpture Center’s Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award and the 11th annual Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities for his commitment to aspiring artists.

Sculptor Mark di Suvero receives the 2010 National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama at an East Room ceremony at the White House on March 2, 2011. Managed by the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Medal of Arts is the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States Government. Photo by Ruth David. Courtesy of the National Endowment for the Arts

< National Medal of Arts press release

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