Photo Flash: President Obama Awards National Medals of Arts to John Kander, Bill T. Jones & More!

President Barack Obama presented the National Medals of Arts in conjunction with the National Humanities Medals yesterday, July 28, 2014 in an East Room ceremony at the White House. Check out photos from the special ceremony below!

The official citations for the 2013 National Medal of Arts recipients are: Julia Alvarez, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Joan Harris, Bill T. Jones, John Kander, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Maxine Hong Kingston, Albert Maysles,Linda Ronstadt, Billie Tsien and Tod Williams, and James Turrell.

The National Medal of Arts is the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the federal government. It is awarded by the President of the United States to individuals or groups who are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States. The National Endowment for the Arts manages the nomination process on behalf of the White House. Each year, the Arts Endowment seeks nominations from individuals and organizations across the country. The National Council on the Arts, the Arts Endowment's presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed advisory body, reviews the nominations and provides recommendations to the President, who selects the recipients.

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $5 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.

Photo Credit: Jocelyn Augustino