Group of people performing dance on stage for Medal of Arts program

Past Raleigh Medal of Arts Awardees

Raleigh Arts

Based on the National Medal of Arts program and inaugurated by the Raleigh Arts Commission in 1984, the Raleigh Medal of Arts is awarded for transformative, imaginative, and innovative achievement in the practice or support of the local arts. The award is the City’s highest arts honor and has been awarded 164 times in the past 37 years.

Below is a list of past Medal of Arts awardees.

Year Awardees

2022

Alluvial Decoder Public Art Project by A Gang of Three
Linda Dallas
Paul Friedrich
June Guralnick
S.T.A.R. Special Theatre Arts of Raleigh
The Veldt

2020

Debra Austin
Betsy Buford
Grant Llewellyn
Eleanor Oakley
Jeremy Tucker  
Beltline to Broadway

2018

Jerome Davis
Dr. Fran M. Page 
Freddie Lee Heath
Dr. Gregg Gelb
Martha Needels Keravuori
Dr. Jonathan C. Kramer
The Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy
PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music

2016

William Henry Curry
Eric Ennis
Sharon Moore
Sarah Powers
Dr. Mel A. Tomlinson
Ginny Zehr

2014

Arts Together
Marta Findlay-Partridge
George Holt
Terrence Mann
Thomas and June Roberg
Ruggero Piano

2012

Nancy Lambert
Parker Poe
Laura Raynor
Triangle Philharmonic Association

2010

Ruth Green
William Ivey Long
Nancy Olson
Dwane Powell
J. Mark Scearce
Banks C. Talley, Jr.

2008

Capital Bank
Lucy Daniels
Charles "Chuck" Davis
Lenard D. Moore
Susan Spurlin Newberry
Jeffery H. Richardson

2006

North Carolina Symphony
North Carolina Theatre
Rory Parnell
Melissa Podcasy
Progress Energy
The Raleigh Ringers

2005

Karen Edwards
Anne Roberts Packer
Dr. Randolph "Randy" Foy

2004

Lee Hansley
Hillyer Community Chorus
Robert Weiss
NC Museum of Art Docents
Jane Elizabeth Williamson Teague

2003

Lope Max Diaz
Lanette Lind
Thomas Mcguire
Melissa Peden

2002

Even Exchange Dance Theatre
Hugh Partridge
Lawrence Wheeler

2001


William Brown
 

2000

Robin Harris
K.D. Kennedy
Dr. Assad Meymandi

1999

Arts Access
Anita Burroughs-Price
Thomas H. Sayre

1998

Community Music School
Elaine A. Lorber
Meredith College
Martha N. Zaytoun

1997

NC Museum of Art
Visual Art Exchange
Gerhardt Zimmermann

1996

Bonnie Brooks
City Gallery of Contemporary Art
Kaye Gibbons
Raleigh Ensemble Players
Mary Ann Scherr
Dr. Alfred E. Sturgis
Don Wilder

1995

The Crafts Center
Elizabeth Grimes Droessler
The Fletcher School of Performing Arts
Ward Purrington

1994

McCrae Hardy
John McIlwee
Raleigh Fine Arts Society

1993

Gerald Barrax
City Gallery of Contemporary Art
James Goodmon
Mary Anne K. Jenkins
Bill Tilton
Inge Witt

1992

George Bireline
Center Stage at NCSU
Stewart Theatre
The Raleigh Boychoir
Bob Rankin
Nona Short
The Woman’s Club of Raleigh Arts Festival 

1991

Joel Adams
Artspace
Charlotte Brown
Joe Cox
Dick Gable
Raleigh Chamber Music Guild
Raleigh Music Club Scholarships
Raleigh Oratorio Society
Ann Smith
Dick Snavely
WCPE

1990

Betsy Blair
Paul B. Conway
James A. Crawford
Margot Richter
Thomas E. Sibley
Raleigh Little Theatre
Raleigh Symphony Orchestra 

1989

Arts Together
Douglas Haas Bennett
Sally Buckner
Rebecca Gill
Betty Kovach
James E. Longmire
Ben F. Williams
Albert D. Wolfheimer 

1988

Abram Kanoff
Suzanne Newton
Raleigh Fine Arts Society Literary Contest
Henry Vermillion
J. Perry Watson
David Witherspoon
Peyton Woodson III 

1987

Horace Caple
Jo Cresimore
Friends of the College
Phyllis Garriss
Peggy Hoffman
Lemma Mackie
Ira David Wood III

1986

Cablevision of Raleigh
DeAnn Jones
Paul Montgomery
Waltye Rasulala
Addison Reed
Theatre in the Park

1985

Artsplosure
Henry Bowers
Capitol Broadcasting Co.
James M. Marshall
Beth Cummings Paschal
George M. Stephens

1984

Geraldine Cate 
Willie Jordan-Williams 
John Lambert 
James A. McLean 
Northern Telecom Inc. 
Robert Petters 
Ira David Wood III 
Anna Wooten-Hawkins

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