Maxine Hong Kingston & Julia Alvarez Honored as Recipients of the National Medal of Arts

By Maryann Yin 

Maxine Hong Kingston and President Barack ObamaWriters Maxine Hong Kingston and Julia Alvarez have been awarded the National Medal of Arts.

Here’s more from the press release: “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.”

President Barack Obama himself presented all the recipients with their medals in a ceremony at the White House. Follow these links to check out podcasts featuring Kingston and Alvarez. (Photo Credit: Jocelyn Augustino)