Press Release - National Medal of Arts Recipients for 2003

President George W. Bush today announced the National Medal of Arts Recipients for the year 2003. The awards will be presented by the President in an Oval Office Ceremony today. The President will be joined by First Lady Laura Bush, Honorary Chair of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities and Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Award Recipients:

Mac Christensen, President of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, accepting on behalf of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Beverly Cleary, Children's Book Author (Carmel, California)

Rafe Esquith, Arts Educator, Fifth Grade Teacher (Los Angeles, California)

Suzanne Farrell, Dancer, Artistic Director, Arts Educator (Morristown, New Jersey)

Buddy Guy, Blues Musician (Orland Park, Illinois)

Ron Howard, Actor, Director, Writer, Producer (Greenwich, Connecticut)

Leonard Slatkin, Symphony Orchestra Conductor for the National Symphony Orchestra (Potomac, Maryland)

Evan Andrew Smith, Chairman of the Board of KLRU, the PBS station in Austin, accepting on behalf of Austin City Limits, (Austin, Texas)

George Strait, Country Singer, Songwriter (San Antonio, Texas)

Tommy Tune, Broadway Director, Actor (New York City, New York)