:: 1993 NEA National Heritage Fellows

Santiago Almeida Texas-Mexican Conjunto Musician Sunnyside, WA	Kenny Baker Bluegrass Fiddler Cottontown, TN	Inez Catalon French Creole Singer Kaplan, LA
Nicholas & Elena Charles Yupik Woodcarvers, Maskmakers, Skinsewers Bethel, AK	Charles Hankins Boatbuilder Lavallette, NJ	Nalani Kanaka'ole & Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahel Hula Masters Hilo, HI
Everett Kapayou Mesquakie Native American Singer Tama, IA	McIntosh County Shouters African-American Spiritual/Shout Performers Townsend, GA	Elmer Miller Bit & Spur Maker/Silversmith Nampa, ID
Jack Owens Blues Singer/Guitarist Bentonia, MS	Mone & Vanxay Saenphimmachak Lao Weavers, Needleworkers, Loommakers St. Louis, MO	Liang-xing Tang Chinese-American Pipa (lute) Player Bayside, NY

In 1982 the National Endowment for the Arts established the NEA National Heritage Awards as a way of honoring American folk artists for their contributions to our national cultural mosaic. Modelled after the Japanese "National Living Treasures" concept, the idea began with Bess Lomax Hawes, then director of the Folk Arts Program.

Profile materials for 1982-2007 courtesy of Documentary Arts. Use of some photographs courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives & Collections

Contact Liz Auclair in the NEA’s Public Affairs office at auclaire@arts.gov for high-resolution images of the 2013 Fellows for press purposes.

NEA Heritage Fellows
1982-Present: 
BY YEAR | ALPHA

What's this?

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506