The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) The NCTA is the nation’s oldest multicultural arts presenting organization. For over eight decades, through festivals, tours, symposia, exhibits, and media productions, the NCTA has showcased the very best of the myriad grassroots folk, tribal and ethnic cultures that comprise our diverse nation.
About the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowships
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) National Heritage Fellowship is the highest honor that our nation bestows upon its folk and traditional artists. Each year, nine to thirteen individuals—“national living treasures” from across the nation—are chosen to receive this one-time-only Fellowship in recognition of lifetime achievement, artistic excellence, and contributions to our nation’s cultural heritage. Bess Lomax Hawes, first director of NEA’s Folk & Traditional Arts Program, created the National Heritage Fellowships in 1982, and in 2000 the Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellowship was established to honor an individual who has made a significant contribution to the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage.
Since 1983, the NCTA has organized the annual week of activities in Washington, D.C. honoring Fellowship recipients. These include a Capitol Hill award ceremony, a banquet in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress and, until 2019, a culminating gala public concert featuring the Fellowship awardees produced by the NCTA. From 2020-2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert was re-imagined as a film, taking viewers across the country, visiting with each Fellow in their home communities. 2023 saw the return of an in-person gathering with a special public presentation as well as the award ceremony and banquet. The NCTA has continued to produce documentary films on each Fellow in association with Hypothetical, and in 2024, they were screened at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
For information on how to nominate a deserving traditional artist for a National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship, visit the NEA’s website.
Current class of NEA National Heritage Fellows
Gathering in Fellowship: The Legacy and Impact of NEA National Heritage Fellows
WATCH: National Heritage Fellow tributes and past concerts
LISTEN: to the latest from NEA National Heritage Fellows
EXPLORE: the interactive Masters of Tradition map
2024 National Heritage Fellows
In September 2024, the 2024 NEA National Heritage Fellows were celebrated and honored in a series of activities around Washington, D.C. On September 17 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the NEA premiered short documentary films about each of the award recipients, followed by an on-stage conversation with musician Jake Blount and each of the Fellows about their cultures and art forms. On September 18 at the Library of Congress, each Fellow was honored at an awards ceremony and reception.
New this year, the White House hosted the Fellows for a panel discussion with NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, where they discussed their artistic practice, art forms, and life experiences. Another special highlight this year was an outing, courtesy of Fellow Todd Goings—one of the carousels he maintains is the Dentzel Carousel at the nearby Glen Echo Park, so many of the Fellows made the trip out to hear him talk about the carousel, and then take a ride on this storied attraction.
Bril Barrett, Tap Dancer from Chicago, Illinois
Bril Barrett fell in love with tap at age four. He learned in the West African “ring shout” tradition which he now teaches. A co-founder of Making A Difference Dancing Rhythms Organization (M.A.D.D. Rhythms), Barrett is helping to provide affordable arts education and mentorship to Chicago youth through tap.
Fabian Debora, Chicano Muralist from Los Angeles, California
Mentored by many artists and muralists of the Chicano art movement and influenced by his past as a former gang member and incarcerated individual, Fabian Debora’s talents and hope led to a life of creative expression through mural art. Debora now serves as a mentor and shares his gifts by teaching others with similar lived experiences.
Rosie Flores, Rockabilly and Country Musician from Austin, Texas
Rosie Flores has been songwriting, singing, and playing guitar for more than four decades, preserving and extending the musical legacies of Texan musicians that came before her. Her groundbreaking talent helped lay the foundation for what has grown into the alt country movement.
Trimble Gilbert (Gwich’in), Gwich’in Fiddler from Arctic Village, Alaska
As a young boy, Trimble Gilbert was captivated by the sounds of fiddle and exuberance of dance during gatherings in the remote and isolated Alaskan villages of the Gwich’in people. Through watching, listening, and diligent practice, Trimble developed his own repertoire of songs and unique style, and has dedicated much of his life to teaching others the Gwich’in fiddle.
Todd Goings, Carousel Carver and Restorationist from Marion, Ohio
Master carousel carver and restorationist Todd Goings has worked for 35 years to keep the art of American carved wooden carousels alive and—through his full-service carousel workshop—revived the century-old leisure experience for a new century.
Susan Hudson (Navajo/Diné), Quilter from Ignacio, Colorado and Sheep Springs, New Mexico
Navajo/Diné artist Susan Hudson was taught to sew by her mother, Dorothy Woods, when she was nine years old. Hudson’s pictorial quilts honor her ancestors and the proud history of the Navajo people using a crossover style inspired by ledger art.
June Kuramoto, Koto Musician from Alhambra, California
June Kuramoto immigrated to America from Japan as a child. Upon hearing the koto, a 13-string Japanese instrument, she knew this would be her connection to Japan. Combining the traditional koto with contemporary American music, Kuramoto formed a band through which she mentors others who share a sense of pride in their culture and identity.
Sochietah Ung, Cambodian Costume Maker and Dancer from Washington, DC
With knowledge derived from his childhood in Cambodia, Sochietah Ung is a multitalented costume maker, dancer, teacher, choreographer, playwright, and producer. He passionately shares his skills across Cambodian communities nationwide and beyond.
Zuni Olla Maidens, Traditional Zuni Dancers and Singers from Zuni, New Mexico
Zuni Olla Maidens are a renowned dance group of all women, who dance with fragile water jars, or ollas, balanced on the top of their heads. They play an important role in Zuni culture of the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico, acting as ambassadors for the community by portraying and preserving cultural traditions for future generations.
Pat Johnson, Community Activist and Organizer from Pocahontas, Arkansas
When Pat Johnson retired from a life of public service, she began working full-time as a community activist and creating a place for her community to gather, connect, and honor local African American history, traditions, and culture.
Johnson is the 2024 recipient of the Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellowship, presented in recognition of an individual who has made a significant contribution to the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage.
Flip through the program booklet below, or at this link.
Gathering in Fellowship: The Legacy and Impact of NEA National Heritage Fellows
In September 2023, NEA National Heritage Fellows from the 2020-23 classes joined together in a convening titled Gathering in Fellowship: The Legacy and Impact of NEA National Heritage Fellows. At the gathering, the fellows explored topics such as: 1) the people, support systems, and community processes that have been a part of their journey and ultimate success as artists, 2) the legacy and impact of receiving the award on both themselves as individuals and on their communities, 3) connections between artmaking and their lived environments, and 4) the role the NEA plays or can play in supporting their creative work. Read a summary of the fellows’ conversations.
Watch National Heritage Fellow tributes and concerts
Starting in 2017, the NEA and the NCTA have worked with the Fellows, state arts agencies, folklorists and filmmakers to create short, documentary-style videos showcasing the artistry of each Fellow, their home community, and their traditions. These beautifully told tributes shine a light on the nation’s preeminent master artists and the cultural communities they represent. In 2020, we began working with Hypothetical to produce short documentary films on each Fellow. Click the links below to watch the films, gala concerts, and more.
2017-present NEA National Heritage Fellow tributes
2010-present NEA National Heritage Fellowships concerts and award ceremonies
Listen to the latest from NEA National Heritage Fellows
American Routes public radio series semi-annually airs programs highlighting recent National Heritage Fellows. Tune in on Thanksgiving and Memorial Day for these special programs. For the latest, click here.
NEA’s podcasts featuring National Heritage Fellows explore the honorees and their distinct art forms through one-on-one interviews.
Explore the interactive Masters of Tradition map
Masters of Tradition: A Cultural Journey Across America is an interactive story map and multimedia library from Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage showcasing the lives and works of National Heritage Fellows. Launching on September 16, this online resource documents and celebrates the cultural complexity and richness of the United States.
“The folk and traditional arts which include music, crafts, dance, storytelling, and others are those that are learned as part of the cultural life of a community whose members share a common ethnic heritage, language, religion, occupation, or geographic region. These traditions are shaped by the aesthetics and values of a shared culture and are passed from generation to generation, most often within family and community through observation, conversation, and practice.”
National Endowment for the Arts
