National Endowment For The Arts Announces the 2003 Recipients of the Nation's Highest Honor in the Folk and Traditional Arts

June 17, 2003

		Contact: Victoria Hutter 202-682-5570

Washington, D.C. - The National Endowment for the Arts today announced the 2003 recipients of the NEA National Heritage Fellowships, the country's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Eleven fellowships, which include a one-time award of $20,000 each, are presented to honorees from nine states and one special jurisdiction. Sixteen awardees were chosen for their artistic excellence, authenticity, and contributions to their field. Three of the fellowships will be shared by collaborative partners. Carmencristina Moreno will receive the Bess Lomax Hawes Award for service to the folk and traditional arts field as a whole.

"We are proud to honor these master artists whose compelling work demonstrates the extraordinary diversity and depth of our nation's cultural wealth," said Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. "These talented individuals are not only renowned practitioners of their art forms but also teachers and preservers of artistic heritages, passing on their skills and passions to future generations."

As in years past, this group of awardees illustrates the importance of family in the folk and traditional arts with two of the fellowships awarded to father and son partnerships. In addition, many of the awardees' work represent the union of artistic creation and occupational craft, combining beauty and utility, form and function.

2003 National Heritage Fellowship Recipients

Rosa Elena Egipciaco, Mundillo (Puerto Rican bobbin lace) (New York, NY)
Agnes "Oshanee" Kenmille, Salish beadworker and regalia maker (Ronan, MT)
Norman Kennedy, Weaver, singer, storyteller (Marshfield, VT)
Roberto and Lorenzo Martinez, Hispanic musicians (Albuquerque, NM)
Norma Miller, African American dancer, choreographer (Las Vegas, NV)
Ron Poast, Hardanger fiddle maker (Black Earth, WI)
Felipe I. and Joseph K. Ruak, Carolinian stick dance leaders (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)
Manoochehr Sadeghi, Persian santur player, (Sherman Oaks, CA)
Nicholas Toth, Diving helmet designer/builder, (Tarpon Springs, FL)
Basque (Bertsolari) Poets
    Jesus Arriada (San Francisco, CA)
    Johnny Curutchet (South San Francisco, CA)
    Martin Goicoechea (Rock Springs, WY)
    Jesus Goni (Reno, NV)

2003 Bess Lomax Hawes Award
Carmencristina Moreno, Mexican American singer, composer, teacher (Fresno, CA)

Profiles of the 2003 National Heritage Fellows are available on the web site.

These honorees join the ranks of previous Heritage Fellows, including bluesman B.B. King, Irish stepdancer Michael Flatley, cowboy poet Wally McRae and acclaimed performers Shirley Caesar, Doc Watson and Bill Monroe. Since 1982, the Endowment has awarded more than 260 National Heritage Fellowships. Recipients are nominated, often by members of their own communities, and then judged by a panel on the basis of their continuing artistic accomplishments and contributions as practitioners or teachers. Fellows must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

If you would like more information or an electronic image of one of the awardees, please contact the NEA Communications Office at (202) 682-5570.

Please see a listing of all Heritage recipients.

National Heritage Fellowships Nomination Information

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