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On September 30, 2016 the 2016 NEA National Heritage Fellows were honored at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC. The event was emcee’d by ACTA Board President and 2015 NEA National Heritage Fellow Dan Sheehy. The concert can be streamed in full at: https://www.arts.gov/lifetime-honors/nea-national-heritage-fellowships/2016-nea-national-heritage-fellowships-concert.
This year’s recipients of the nation’s highest honor in the folk & traditional arts inlcude two California artists Artemio Posadas (San José), Master Huastecan Son (Mexican Musical Tradition) musician and advocate; and Bounxeung Synanonh (Fresno), a Laotian khaen player. The fellows also include Dakota flute maker Bryan Akipa, Mardi Gras Indian craftsman and musician Joseph Pierre “Big Chief Monk” Boudreaux, Irish button acccordionist Billy McComiskey, Tlingit ceremonial regalia maker Clarissa Rizal, Penobscot Nation ash/sweetgrass basketmaker Theresa Secord, master shipwright Michael Vlahovich, and White Oak basketmaker Leona Waddell.
