Photo Coverage: 2008 National Arts Awards

The 2008 National Arts Awards were held in New York City on October 6th, 2008. The awards recognize artists and arts leaders who "exhibit exemplary national leadership and whose work demonstrates extraordinary artistic achievement." The Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented to a "nationally recognized, established artist with a history of exemplary artistic accomplishment in his or her field," was given to Dame Julie Andrews, a stage and screen star whose Broadway credits include the original productions of Camelot and My Fair Lady. Andrews won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her title role in the 1964 film Mary Poppins and garnered best actress Oscar nominations for The Sound of Music and Victor/Victoria. The English-born 73 year-old is also the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice, Theatre World and Screen Actors Guild awards.

This other 2008 honorees are Joan W. Harris (Frederick R. Weisman Award for Philanthropy in the Arts), Yoko Ono (Kitty Carlisle Hart Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts), Phil Ramone (Arts Advocacy Award), Kehinde Wiley (Young Artist Award for Artistic Excellence) and J. Barry Griswell, The Principal Financial Group (Corporate Citizenship in the Arts Award). This year, the annual October gala dinner and event was held at Cipriani's on 42nd Street.

Guest included honorees Julie Andrews, Yoko Ono, Phil Ramone and Kehinde Wiley; past honoree Jeff Koons; actress Aimee Mullins; singer Billy Joel; curator Thelma Golden; Americans for the Arts Chairwoman Maria Bell; and Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch.

Past winners of the National Arts Award include Edward Albee, Wallis Annenberg, Richard Avedon, John Baldessari, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Robert H. Benmosche, Leonard Bernstein, Eli Broad, The Honorable Schuyler G. Chapin, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Hilary Rodham Clinton, Chuck Close, Dr. Vance Coffman, Sofia Coppola, Kathleen A. Dore, Pierre Dulaine and Yvonne Marceau, Aretha Franklin, Jake Glyllenhaal, Martha Graham, Michael Greene, Agnes Gund, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Helen Hayes, Teresa Heinz, Sheila C. Johnson, Ellsworth Kelly, Jeff Koons, Alan (A.G.) Lafley (Procter & Gamble), John Legend, Wynton Marsalis, Dr. Robert S. Martin, Peter Martins, Richard Meier, Music Industry and NAMM, Natalie Portman, David Rockefeller, Cindy Sherman, Beverly Sills, Isaac Stern, Mena Suvari, Target Corporation, Paul Taylor, Uma Thurman, United Technologies Corporation, Kirk Varnedoe, Alberto Vilar, Kerry Washington, Wendy Wasserstein and Pinchas Zukerman.

The National Arts Awards are presented by Americans for the Arts, the leading nonprofit organization for the advancement of the arts in America.

Photo credit: RD/Leon/Retna Digital