Celebrate the 2019 NEA National Heritage Fellows!

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to recognize these artists and the important role they play in our nation’s vibrant cultural landscape. Whether it’s through storytelling, mentoring, or performance, these Heritage Fellows are committed to sharing their art forms with others.” — Mary Anne Carter, Acting Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts

Congratulations to the 2019 NEA National Heritage Fellows, recipients of the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Each fellowship includes an award of $25,000 and the recipients will be honored at two public events on September 18 and 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. The 2019 NEA National Heritage Fellows are: Dan Ansotegui, Basque musician and tradition bearer from Boise, Idaho Grant Bulltail, Crow storyteller from Crow Agency, Montana Linda Goss, African-American storyteller from Baltimore, Maryland James F. Jackson, leatherworker from Sheridan, Wyoming Balla Kouyaté, balafon player and djeli from Medford, Massachusetts Josephine Lobato, Spanish colcha embroiderer from Westminster, Colorado Rich Smoker, decoy carver from Marion Station, Maryland Las Tesoros de San Antonio—Beatriz (La Paloma del Norte) Llamas and Blanquita (Blanca Rosa) Rodríguez, Tejano singers from San Antonio, Texas Bob Fulcher, folklorist and state park manager from Clinton, Tennessee Click on each Heritage Fellow's name to learn more about them. Read the full news announcement here.