| Carrie Mae Weems Awarded a National Medal of Arts Congratulations to Carrie Mae Weems on being awarded the 2024 National Medal of Arts. President Biden will present Weems the United States government’s highest award given to artists and art patrons. Established in 1984, the National Medal of Arts is presented by the President of the United States to those 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.” Carrie Mae Weems is the first Black female visual artist to be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since the 1980s, Weems has developed a groundbreaking and highly distinctive practice comprising photography, text, audio, installation, and video. Amplifying the voices of those whose stories have been silenced or ignored, Weems’s incisive multidisciplinary work invites sustained contemplation of race, gender, social injustice, and economic inequity throughout American history to the present day. Weems’s poignant storytelling challenges dominant narratives and searches for new, nuanced models to live by, creating an acclaimed body of work that continues to influence and inspire generations of artists. LEARN MORE |
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