Celebrating Artists, Diversity and Freedom
The first in-person presentation of the National Arts Awards since 2019
The stars were aligning and shining on October 17 for the first in-person presentation of the National Arts Awards since 2019. The nonprofit Americans for the Arts selected the date as part of National Arts and Humanities Month to honor the work and achievements of an extraordinary group of creative individuals and organizations.
Luminaries from worlds of entertainment, the arts, and philanthropy came together at a ceremony at Guastavino’s to celebrate the work of five honorees, but more broadly to shine their star power on the forces of creativity, diversity and freedom.
A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to poet and activist, Joy Harjo, three-time U.S. Poet Laureate and member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Harjo, who has written, “I was born with eyes that can never close,” has created a body of work that bridges literature and music – often with a sense of responsibility to our world through activism. “Art is the carrier of culture,” she said. “Without the arts, we are not viable human beings.”
Actor, composer, and advocate for arts education, Darren Criss, the first Filipino-American to win an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Critics’ Choice Award for a leading role, was presented with the Ted Arison Young Artist Award. The Gordon Parks Foundation both preserves the work of the renowned African American photographer and furthers his legacy through grants scholarships, fellowships, and prizes. It was honored with the Arts Education Award.
With billboards across all fifty states and a major exhibition at the Parrish Art Museum on Long Island, “For Freedoms,” the collective whose work is focused on social justice, activism and political participation, carries the power of art to wide swath of society. Its founders, Wyatt Gallery, Eric Gottesman, Hank Willis Thomas, and Michelle Woo received the Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award. “Everything we do is about making the things that we dream about happen,” said Thomas, whose fabric assemblages often include pieces of flags and remnants of prison uniforms.
Robert F. Smith, known to many New Yorkers as Chairman of the Board of Carnegie Hall, is an avid supporter of education. In 2019, he made a staggering commitment to pay off $34 million of debt for Morehouse College graduates. The philanthropist founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners was honored with the Philanthropy in the Arts Award.
Americans for the Arts has a new president and CEO, Nolen V. Bivens, who joined the organization in 2021. The retired U.S. Army Brigadier General is a long-time champion of the arts and culture as a means of transformation. Under his direction, Americans for the Arts seeks to support and amplify the work of those in the arts who focus on social impact.
Jon Batiste, one of the presenters, could have written the soundtrack of the evening. His 2021 hit “Freedom” reminds us all about the feeling of joy when we’re all, as he says “free to be.”