NEW HAMPSHIRE.- The MacDowell Colony, the nation’s
leading artist residency program, will present its 50th Edward MacDowell Medal
this year to visual artist Kiki Smith. The MacDowell Medal is awarded annually
to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to his/her field and
this year marks a half-century of recognizing pivotal artists. Smith
joins an impressive list of past recipients, including Georgia O’Keeffe, John
Updike, I.M. Pei., and Aaron Copland. The award will be presented in a public
ceremony during the Medal Day celebration on Sunday, August 9, 2009, beginning
at 12:15 p.m. on The MacDowell Colony grounds in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
Robert MacNeil, chairman of The MacDowell Colony, will award the Medal, along
with Carter Wiseman, president of the board, and Cheryl Young, executive
director. Novelist, critic, and Colony Fellow Lynne Tillman will be the Medal
Day speaker.