[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 41 (Monday, October 17, 1994)]
[Pages 2026-2031]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
Remarks on Presenting Arts and Humanities Awards
October 14, 1994
Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, Hillary and I are
delighted to have all of you here today. This is the second year I've
had the pleasure of honoring the winners of the National Medal of the
Arts and the
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Charles Frankel Prize. And it's really one of the great pleasures of my
job.
I may or may not be the first President who's actually reviewed the
recommendations of the committee when they send them to me for who
should receive the prize, but it enables me to sort of relive large
chunks of my life as I see the artists who have been recommended for
this esteemed honor.
Today we celebrate the human imagination and its power to move us
forward as a civilization. In honoring our finest artists and humanists,
we honor the great American cultural traditions of pluralism, free
expression, and tolerance. We honor the quality of our civic life, which
for more than two centuries has offered hope and opportunities to
Americans from all walks of life, even in the midst of momentous social
and political change.
The arts and humanities are our bridge as a people, our bridge to
one another. Whatever divisions exist among us, the arts and humanities
draw us together. They enable us to celebrate our own individuals
identities, while also teaching us about the things we share as
Americans. They give us a window on the human condition that prevents us
from becoming too complacent or too numb or too fearful of the
challenges and complexities of the world of today and tomorrow.
Too often we think of art and scholarship, of creative expression,
and the world of ideas, as the provinces as a cultural elite. Indeed,
too often these very arguments have been made by those who would seek to
divide us one from another, to divide those who write our songs and
paint our pictures and act in our dramas from what they would call
normal Americans. But the truth is that the arts and humanities don't
discriminate or prejudge, they honor all of us equally. And when we
listen and look and feel, they bind us together instead of giving in to
those who would divide us.
Song, dance, painting, drama, books, ideas, and scholarship have
never been the province of one ethnic group, one religion, one political
faction in this country. They are part of our common heritage. They
convey all the distinct and different voices, emotions, and images that
together make up what is a uniquely American culture. That's why they
can be a powerful source of our renewal and our common unity as we move
forward into the 21st century.
We need only look at our own history to know that every step we have
taken forward as a democracy has coincided with a period of great
artistic and intellectual ferment. By fueling our own imaginations, by
enlarging our understanding of human experience, the arts and humanities
have always given us greater confidence to confront whatever
uncertainties loom before us. We need that now, greater confidence in
the face of uncertainty, because I believe more than I can convey in
words that the 21st century can be our greatest time if we learn to
relish and cherish and celebrate our diversity and to face our
challenges with genuine confidence. [Applause] You know, I'm glad you
clapped for that because it wasn't in the notes; it's just what I wanted
to say. [Laughter] The president of my alma mater, Georgetown is over
there. He's very glad I'm well educated enough to think of one coherent
sentence that wasn't written for me. [Laughter]
Given that this is national arts and humanities month, it's an
appropriate time also to remember that public support for the arts and
humanities, while always a minor portion of overall financial backing,
remains essential today. And it will be so, as far as we can foresee.
Therefore, I want to thank especially all those people who were
individually introduced by the First Lady just a few moments ago. They
are a powerful voice for arts and humanities within this administration,
and I am very proud of each and every one of them and the service they
render to the United States.
Now, I have the honor of conferring the National Medal of the Arts
and the Charles Frankel Prize on a wonderful group of awardees.
First, to a man whose music I love and who I found to be one of the
funniest people I ever saw perform in person, who later lived long
enough to be able to encourage and on occasion rebuke me as President,
Harry Belafonte. Harry Belafonte once brought tears to my eyes of
laughter at one of his concerts and later brought tears to my eyes with
his passion for an event which is unfolding today, the return of
President Aristide to Haiti. He once said, ``The role of art isn't
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just to show life as it is but to show life as it should be.'' Well,
Harry Belafonte has not only brought joy to his audiences, but he's
inspired people throughout the world with his dedication to freedom
movements and humanitarian causes.
Singer, actor, producer, Harry Belafonte has set industry standards
with many successes. His third album, ``Calypso,'' was the first ever to
sell over a million copies. We're familiar with his work on U.S.A. for
Africa, which produced a Grammy award-winning album and video, ``We Are
The World.'' Today he continues to bring art and activism together to
inspire all of us to live our lives with passion and with concern for
others.
Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating Harry
Belafonte.
[At this point, the President congratulated Mr. Belafonte, and Hillary
Clinton presented the medal.]
The next awardee is the first person on this list whose work ever
touched me personally. I'll never forget the first time when, as a high
school musician, I discovered that I could actually play the saxophone
lead in ``Take Five.'' And Mr. Brubeck, I can still almost do it.
[Laughter]
A pianist, composer, and bandleader, Dave Brubeck is truly an
American jazz legend. Reaching international stardom in the 1950's, the
Dave Brubeck Quartet performed with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie,
Stan Getz, and others. The ``Time Out'' album was the first modern jazz
album to go gold. A classically trained musician, Dave Brubeck is also
recognized worldwide for his compositions that include ballet scores,
piano concertos, oratorios, cantatas, and a mass. Merging both of his
interests, he was a pioneer in combining jazz and symphony sounds.
I can also tell you that he is still playing all the time and very
well. It is my great personal honor to present the next award to Dave
Brubeck.
[The President congratulated Mr. Brubeck, and Hillary Clinton presented
the medal.]
Contralto Celia Cruz is known internationally as the Queen of Salsa.
Born in Havana, she began her vocal career singing her younger siblings
to sleep. It wasn't long, though, before she began electrifying
audiences on a larger scale. She's sung with Latin musical greats like
La Sonora Matancera, Tito Puente, and Johnny Pacheco. Celia Cruz has
used her powerful voice and style to transplant Afro-Cuban music to
every corner of the globe. Please congratulate Celia Cruz.
[The President congratulated Ms. Cruz, and Hillary Clinton presented the
medal.]
Since beginning her career as a violin teacher at the Juilliard
School in 1948, Dorothy DeLay has inspired and instructed dozens of
virtuosos and concert masters from all over the world. Instead of
teaching a particular technique or a tone, her greatest achievement has
been to draw out the individual talents and passions of her students.
Through her guidance and encouragement, artists such as Itzhak Perlman,
Sarah Chang, Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg, Cho-Liang Lin, and Nigel Kennedy
have become internationally renowned violinists. Itzhak Perlman said
this: ``Miss DeLay's contributions to the excellence of the arts in this
country are vast, and her place in the history of classical music is
secure.'' No one could say it better.
[The President congratulated Ms. DeLay, and Hillary Clinton presented
the medal.]
Anyone who has ever seen our next awardee perform knows what great
acting is all about. Julie Harris is a 5-time Tony Award winner, one of
our Nation's most talented and versatile actresses. Her credits include
``I Am a Camera,'' ``The Lark,'' ``Forty Carats,'' ``The Last of Mrs.
Lincoln,'' and ``The Belle of Amherst,'' in which she had the starring
role as Emily Dickinson. That 1976 production broke box office records
here at the Kennedy Center as well as in Philadelphia and Boston. Her
stage successes won her the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the
Donaldson Award. She has also, as all of you know, lent her considerable
talents to television, radio, and film. Miss Julie Harris.
[The President congratulated Ms. Harris, and Hillary Clinton presented
the medal.]
Our next honoree is truly a pioneer in his field. Erick Hawkins was
the first American
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in George Balanchine's School of American Ballet and the first male
dancer in Martha Graham's company. In 1951, he opened his own dance
school and founded a dance company, both of which continue to add
vitality and originality to the dance world today. As a choreographer,
dancer, and teacher, Erick Hawkins' unique talent has been to place
dance in a larger cultural and philosophical context. For his boldness
and talent, Erick Hawkins commands a legendary place in American modern
dance heritage. Erick Hawkins.
[The President congratulated Mr. Hawkins, and Hillary Clinton presented
the medal.]
Our next honoree is Gene Kelly. Perhaps the most versatilely
talented and widely admired American dancer, singer, and actor of this
generation. He wanted very much to be here today and had planned to
come, but at the last moment was literally forbidden by his doctors to
do so. So his wife has come to receive the award for him.
All of you know that he is an award-winning director, choreographer,
and producer, a household name who has inspired even the most
uncoordinated among us to imitate his memorable scenes, as I must
confess, I tried to do for my daughter not very long ago when he was
singing in the rain on television. Every one of you has probably done
the same thing if you would be perfectly honest about it. [Laughter]
Having performed in such timeless classics as ``For Me and My Gal,''
``Anchors Aweigh,'' ``On the Town,'' and ``An American in Paris,'' its's
no wonder that he received a Kennedy Center Award in 1982 for his
lifetime contribution to the arts. Whether on stage or screen, Gene
Kelly is an American treasure whose musicals entertain people of all
generations. Even though he is unable to join us today, we know he's
here with us in spirit. We're glad that Patricia is here to accept this
award on his behalf. Mr. Gene Kelly.
[The President congratulated Mrs. Kelly, and Hillary Clinton presented
the medal.]
The next awardee is the second person on this list who had a
personal impact on my life, and I would daresay, the lives of every
American citizen, at least every American who is 50 years of age or
younger and maybe who's 75 or 80 or younger. Pete Seeger is an American
legend. Influenced by his father, Charles Seeger, a famous American
musicologist, he achieved international fame as a folk singer,
songwriter, and political activist in the fifties and sixties. Among his
many credits are performing with Woodie Guthrie's band and composing
``If I Had a Hammer,'' ``Where Have all the Flowers Gone,'' and many
other songs that all of us know by heart. He has also lent his music to
support the civil right movement, the protection of our environment, and
the labor movement. Occasionally, he still picks up his banjo, and
anyone who is fortunate enough to listen will attest still to his place
as one of our most enduring and endearing and important folk musicians.
Mr. Peter Seeger.
[The President congratulated Mr. Seeger, and Hillary Clinton presented
the medal.]
Catherine Filene Shouse has been a lifelong patron of the arts. Her
leadership has supported the Washington Ballet, the Washington Opera,
the Kennedy Center, the New York City, and Miami City Ballets. For a
half century, she worked on behalf of the National Symphony Orchestra.
In 1966, she donated 100 acres of her Virginia farm as well as funds for
an amphitheater to the United States Government. The Wolf Trap Farm Park
for the Performing Arts is America's first and only national park
dedicated to the performing arts and related educational programs. It is
a truly national treasure that I think we should all be grateful for. I
wish we had more national parks that were for people to work in and
learn in and live in. We owe her a lot, and today we recognize her for
her signal gifts.
[The President congratulated Ms. Filene Shouse, and Hillary Clinton
presented the medal.]
Professor Wayne Thiebaud is not your average college art teacher. A
professor at the University of California at Davis, he's also an
internationally renowned artist whose painting are on display at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney
Museum of Art in New York, the Chicago Art Institute, Harvard's
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Fogg Art Museum, and the San Francisco Museum of Art.
While his works hang on the walls of the most famous American
museums, his teaching allows serious art students to learn and develop
from his own artistic genius. I don't know about you, but one of the
things that I'd like to say is we probably ought to recognize more
teachers in this world. And when a teacher has this kind of gift and
decides on his own initiative to keep on teaching, that in itself is a
contribution worthy of this medal. Thank you.
[The President congratulated Mr. Thiebaud, and Hillary Clinton presented
the medal.]
Richard Wilbur has been a poet, translator, teacher, Broadway
lyricist, among others, for--I have to plug one of my favorites--for the
work he did with Lillian Hellman and Leonard Bernstein on ``Candide.'' A
critic and editor, an author of children's books, foremost among his
literary achievements have been his poetry and his translations. He has
won two Pulitizer Prizes, the National Book Award, was our second poet
laureate.
For his translation of French plays, he's won the Bolligen and PEN
translation prizes. His translations from ``Moliere'' and ``Racine'' are
the most celebrated American translations from the French theater. I
think that all of us know that Richard Wilbur is among all other things
one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, and we honor him today.
[The President congratulated Mr. Wilbur, and Hillary Clinton presented
the medal.]
We're giving an award to an organization now that is terribly
important. In a time when many schools are having to scale back or
eliminate their music, theater, or dance programs, Young Audiences
Incorporated is helping to make the performing arts an essential part of
young people's education. Last year Young Audiences' professional
artists presented nearly 50,000 performances, reaching more than 6
million public school students. Coordinating with schools and
communities to establish partnerships on behalf of arts education, Young
Audiences has been instrumental in bringing the enrichment of performing
arts to millions of young people all across our country. That is a
terrific achievement, and I am honored to present the medal to one of
our most outstanding young musicians, Yo Yo Ma.
[The President congratulated Mr. Ma, and Hillary Clinton presented the
medal.]
I now present the winners of the 1994 Charles Frankel Prize for
their work in the humanities. And I begin quite proudly with a man who
has been a longtime personal friend of the First Lady and of mine, whose
work in education will influence educators and therefore help students
well into the next century. Ernest Boyer is a distinguished scholar,
educator, and administrator who has demonstrated in his life an
unparalleled commitment to educational excellence.
As President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching at Princeton, he's helped lead the national education debate
for more than 10 years now. He has consistently cited as one of our
Nation's foremost advocates of educational reform. And I can tell you
that, having worked with him myself for the better part of a decade,
deep in his heart he does believe that all children can learn and that
we can find a way to teach them. Mr. Ernest Boyer.
[The President congratulated Mr. Boyer, and Hillary Clinton presented
the prize.]
A professor of English at the University of Montana and an
accomplished writer, William Kittredge is considered the leading scholar
of the American West. His essays, memoirs, short stories, and film
screen plays about the West have reached a national audience. Helping to
establish Western regional studies as an academic field, he has taken
Americans beyond the sentimentalized view of the Old West, providing us
with a more complex and worthy history of the American West. Mr. William
Kittredge.
[The President congratulated Mr. Kittredge, and Hillary Clinton
presented the prize.]
For the past 20 years, Peggy Whitman Prenshaw has been a champion of
the humanities. A distinguished scholar of Southern literature at
Louisiana State University, she has organized, conducted, or
participated in dozens of public humanities forums in Mis-
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sissippi and Louisiana. She has been a tireless advocate of the
humanities in American civic life and has served on the Mississippi
Humanities Council, the Federation of State Humanities Councils, and the
Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. She is my neighbor, and I know
of her work and how much it has meant to so many of those ordinary
citizens who might never have seen some of the things they saw but for
her efforts. Thank you very much.
[The President congratulated Ms. Whitman Prenshaw, and Hillary Clinton
presented the prize.]
It is a great personal honor for me to have the opportunity to
present the next award to our good friend Sharon Percy Rockefeller, the
president and chief executive officer of WETA from 1989 to 1994. She has
led TV 26 in becoming the third largest producer of national programs
for the Public Broadcasting Service. During her tenure, the weekly
viewership of WETA TV 26 grew to an unprecedented one million viewers
and WETA became a forerunner in the production of outstanding
programming in the arts and humanities. Most notable among the long list
of excellent programs is WETA's co-production of Ken Burns' magnificent
1990 documentary, ``The Civil War,'' the highest rated program in the
history of public television.
[The President congratulated Ms. Percy Rockefeller, and Hillary Clinton
presented the prize.]
You know what she said when I gave it to her? She said, ``Don't
forget `Baseball'.'' And it was the only baseball we had this year.
[Laughter]
Today, Dorothy Porter Wesley is recognized for her role as a
preeminent archivist of African-Americana. During her 43-year tenure as
the principal compiler of the black studies collection housed at Howard
University's Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, she has set national
standards for collecting, preserving, and making accessible thousands of
books, pamphlets, manuscripts, portraits, and artifacts relating to
blacks in America and in Africa. She was the visiting senior scholar at
the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for Afro-American Research at Harvard
University. She also is still in her heart a librarian. The first thing
she asked me when I saw her today was whether I was using the White
House Library. [Laughter] The second thing I did was get a reprimand for
having four overdue books. [Laughter] Please welcome her here today.
[The President congratulated Ms. Porter Wesley, and Hillary Clinton
presented the prize.]
The final presentation is of a Presidential Citizens Medal to an
invaluable ally of the arts and humanities in Congress, the
distinguished Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
Claiborne Pell, of Rhode Island. Senator Pell is one of the founding
fathers of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National
Endowment for the Humanities. He has tirelessly served this country
through legislative leadership and unwavering advocacy of the arts and
humanities. As Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Education, Arts
and Humanities, he's been instrumental in providing opportunities for
artists in funding arts programs and preservation projects and in
bringing the experience and the appreciation of the arts to communities
all across this country.
Let us give him a warm round of applause. Senator Pell,
congratulations. [Applause]
[The President congratulated Senator Pell, and Hillary Clinton presented
the medal.]
Now, let's end this program with a thanks to the good Lord for
keeping the rain away and a good round of applause to all of our
honorees. [Applause]
Thank you very much.
Note: The President spoke at 2:52 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White
House.