    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [September 29, 1997]
    [Page 1269]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the National Arts and Humanities Medals Dinner
    September 29, 1997

        Ladies and gentlemen, I want to begin the dinner by saying a special
    word of welcome to all of you.
        Frequently in this room, it is my privilege on behalf of the people
    of the United States to offer a toast to a visiting leader of another
    nation or to showcase our culture to the world. Tonight it is my
    privilege to honor the leaders of that culture, our artists and scholars
    and those who support their work.
        Our economy is measured in numbers and statistics, and we got some
    more good numbers today, and for that I'm very grateful. But
    nonetheless, in our childhood, at the end of our lives, and in the most
    important moments in between, we know that our own enduring worth and
    the enduring worth of our Nation lies in our shared values and our
    soaring spirit.
        Lewis Mumford once wrote, ``Love, poetry, disinterested thought, the
    free use of the imagination--here are the sustaining values of a living
    culture.'' Through the work you do and the lives you lead, you are
    sustaining our living culture and swelling the chorus of American
    voices.
        I have to note, sadly, as many of you must doubtless know now, that
    we lost one of those great voices today when Roy Lichtenstein passed
    away. Two years ago I had the great privilege of giving him the award
    that I was able to bestow on several of you today. He was especially
    valuable and treasured by us here in the White House because of his
    support for our Arts in Embassies program.
        The point I think he would like me to make tonight is that every one
    of us, each in our own time, has just a little time, whether we live a
    short or a long life by conventional standards. Therefore, it falls to
    every one of us to make sure that there is a next generation of artists
    and scholars who have the opportunity to learn and to create, so that
    the next generation of ideas can take root and grow.
        So tonight, as we celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of the
    men and women we honor here, let us also rededicate ourselves to that
    future mission.
        Now, I ask you all to join me in raising our glasses in a toast to
    the 1997 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal
    recipients.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:43 p.m. on the State Floor at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to artist Roy Lichtenstein, 1995
    National Medal of Arts recipient.