Americans for the Arts, the leading organization for advancing the arts in America, announces its annual National Arts Awards honorees. The awards recognize those artists and arts leaders who exhibit exemplary national leadership and whose work demonstrates extraordinary artistic achievement. They are individuals-artists, business leaders and patrons-who understand the arts enrich people and communities alike.
Martha Rivers Ingram is the chairman of Ingram Industries, chairman of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust, and a noted philanthropist and patron of the arts. Upon moving to Nashville with her husband, the late E. Bronson Ingram, she devoted herself to the local arts scene. In 1972, Ingram began to work to develop a local performing arts facility. Her eight-year fight gave rise to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, a three-theatre facility located in downtown Nashville. She also helped develop the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, which opened in 2005 and houses the Nashville Symphony. She serves on the boards of Spoleto Festival USA, in her hometown of Charleston, SC, Ingram Micro, Regions Financial Corporation and Weyerhaeuser. Her other philanthropic commitments include work on the boards of the Nashville Ballet, the Nashville Opera Association, and the Tennessee Repertory Theatre.The National Arts Awards has garnered the support of individuals, foundations and corporations across the country. Americans for the Arts extends special gratitude to: Maria and Bill Bell, The Broad Art Foundation, Julie and Edward J. Minskoff, The Herb Alpert Foundation and Ted and Isabella Dalenson.
The National Arts Awards have been presented by Americans for the Arts since 1996. Past honorees have included, among others: Edward Albee, Dame Julie Andrews, Wallis Annenberg, Alec Baldwin, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Leonard Bernstein, Chuck Close, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Pierre Dulaine, Aretha Franklin, Frank Gehry, Martha Graham, Agnes Gund, Jake Gyllenhaal, Joan W. Harris, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Helen Hayes, Sheila C. Johnson, Ellsworth Kelly, Jeff Koons, Jacob Lawrence, John Legend, Gerald M. Levin, Wynton Marsalis, Natalie Portman, Phil Ramone, Cindy Sherman, Beverly Sills, Anna
Deavere Smith, David Rockefeller, Isaac Stern, Paul Taylor, Uma Thurman, Kerry Washington, Sanford I. Weill, and Kehinde Wiley.
Dan and Mindy Brodbeck, Lisa Minnigan, Laurie Seabury, Connie Valentine, Martha Ingram, Gil Merritt, Dick and Sharlena Miller
Martha Ingram
Martha Ingram
Martha Ingram
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