In 1982 the National Endowment for the Arts established the NEA National Heritage Awards as a way of honoring American folk artists for their contributions to our national cultural mosaic. Modelled after the Japanese "National Living Treasures" concept, the idea began with Bess Lomax Hawes, then director of the Folk Arts Program. Since its inception, over 200 artists have received the Heritage Award.

As a group, these folk and traditional artists reflect the diverse heritage and cultural traditions that transcend their beginnings to become part of our national character. Americans all, they bring age-old customs, crafts and ways of living to the flux of American life, a pluralism that makes us strong and defines us, in the words of Walt Whitman, as "not merely a nation but a teeming nation of nations."

We are pleased to present profiles of the 2004 NEA National Heritage Fellowship awardees, including brief biographies, interviews, and samples of their work.

Anjani Ambegaokar		Charles "Chuck" T. Campbell		Joe Derrane
Jerry Douglas		Gerald "Subiyay" Miller		Chum Ngek
Milan Opacich		Eliseo and Paula Rodriguez		Koko Taylor
Yuqin Wang and Zhengli Xu

Chum Ngek will receive the Bess Lomax Hawes Award for his lifelong service to the folk and traditional arts field as a whole in acknowledgement of his long history of teaching Cambodian music and culture. This award recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the excellence, vitality and public appreciation of the folk and traditional arts through teaching, collecting, advocacy and preservation work.

National Heritage Fellowships begin with nominations from ordinary citizens who put forward local folk and traditional artists that they feel are deserving of national recognition and who embody artistic excellence, authenticity, and significance within their tradition. Each year, a select group of these artists come to Washington to receive their award in a public ceremony and perform in a concert celebrating our nation of nations during late September. Nomination information is available on the website.

Profiles of National Heritage Fellows: 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004

Complete listing of National Heritage Fellows 1982 - present

Sound samples can be listened to using the free RealPlayer.

National Endowment for the Arts
Contact the Web Manager.