Elizabeth Auclair, Public Affairs Specialist for Public Affairs for National Endowment for the Arts contributed the following important information: This September, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is celebrating nine of our nation’s master folk and traditional artists at two free events in Washington, DC. These artists are the recipients of the NEA National Heritage Fellowship, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Among the 2017 recipients are conjunto accordionist and bandleader Eva Ybarra and Danish button accordionist and Missouri-style fiddler Dwight Lamb.
On Friday, September 15, 2017, at 8:PM, the 2017 recipients will be honored at a free concert in Washington, DC, at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium. This concert will also be streamed live at arts.gov. Presented by the National Endowment for the Arts, the concert will feature performances by and conversations with the 2017 NEA National Heritage Fellows – including Eva Ybarra an Dwight Lamb – and will be hosted by Martha Gonzalez of the Grammy Award-winning band Quetzal. Free tickets are available at lisner.gwu.edu.
Eva Ybarra is one of only a few professional women accordionists in conjunto music. As the leader of Eva Ybarra y Su Conjunto, Ybarra has specialized in writing and composing original conjunto music while also exploring non-standard chord progressions, advancing the art form’s evolution. Besides being a professional musician, Ybarra is also a music educator.
Dwight Lamb is a master of Danish fiddle and accordion traditions, as well as Missouri Valley old-time fiddling. With more than 60 years’ commitment to collection, recording, preservation, and teaching, Lamb has mentored generations of regional and international musicians.
In addition, prior to this concert on Thursday, September 14, the NEA will recognize these artists at an awards ceremony at the Library of Congress. The ceremony will begin at 5:30 PM. ET in the Library of Congress’s Coolidge Auditorium in the Thomas Jefferson Building at 10 First Street SE in Washington, DC. Following the ceremony, there will be a reception with the artists. This event is open to the public and no tickets are required.
Here is the full list of 2017 NEA National Heritage Fellows:
Norik Astvatsaturov (Wahpeton, ND) – Armenian Repoussé Metal Artist
Anna Brown Ehlers (Juneau, AK) – Chilkat Weaver
Modesto Cepeda (San Juan, PR) – Bomba and Plena Musician
Ella Jenkins (Chicago, IL) – Children’s Folk Singer and Musician
Dwight Lamb (Onawa, IA) – Danish Button Accordionist and Missouri-Style Fiddler
Thomas Maupin (Murfreesboro, TN) – Old-time Buckdancer
Cyril Pahinui (Waipahu, HI) – Hawaiian Slack-key Guitarist and Singer
Phil Wiggins (Takoma Park, MD) – Acoustic Blues Harmonica Player
Eva Ybarra (San Antonio, TX) – Conjunto Accordionist and Band Leader
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more about NEA.
For further information:
Elizabeth Auclair: auclaire@arts.gov
