[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23858]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN WILDLIFE ARTIST JOHN RUTHVEN RECEIVES NATIONAL 
                           MEDAL OF THE ARTS

  (Mr. PORTMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a very dear friend 
and Brown County, Ohio, constituent, John Ruthven, who was selected by 
President Bush to receive the National Medal of the Arts, the highest 
award to an artist or patron in the United States. I was honored to 
join John and his wife, Judy, and members of his family today at the 
White House for the medal presentation by President Bush.
  He is one of the most talented artists in the Nation, and we are 
proud to know him as one of our neighbors in southern Ohio. We cannot 
think of anybody more deserving of this honor.
  John is an author, lecturer, naturalist, conservationist, and 
internationally acknowledged master of wildlife art. We consider him a 
modern day Audubon. His love of nature is infectious. So many, 
including my own family, have joined John on his naturalist tours of 
the woods of his beloved farm.
  His original paintings have been shown at the White House, the 
Hermitage Museum in Russia, here at the U.S. Capitol, the Ohio State 
capitol rotunda, and many other prestigious venues around the world.
  The National Medal of Arts, Mr. Speaker, is a very prestigious award. 
The President may award up to 12 medals per year. There were only seven 
other individuals to receive the national medal today.
  All of us in southern Ohio congratulate John on receiving this most 
prestigious national award.

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