National Medals of Arts rest in the Oval Office before President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden present them to recipients, Monday, October 21, 2024. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)
On October 21, 2024, President Joe Biden honored Bruce Sagan with a National Medal of the Arts.
Sagan, a 95-year-old former journalist and the longtime publisher of the Hyde Park Herald, has been an influential and lifelong supporter of the arts.
Sagan has served on the WFMT Radio Committee for 25 years and has sat on the boards of the Chicago Public Library and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He opened Hyde Park’s Harper Theater in the 1960s and created the first modern dance festival in the Midwest. Decades later, he was vital in facilitating Joffrey Ballet’s relocation to Chicago and served on the organization’s board. Sagan has played pivotal roles in preserving Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House and served on the Illinois Arts Council, where he oversaw the state’s celebrations for the national bicentennial and helped establish the Chicago Architecture Center.
In his acceptance statement, Sagan reflected on the critical role of the arts “to the quality of life in our complex changing world,” as they serve to “both entertain us and educate us.”
Among the other 19 recipients this year were filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, and Ken Burns as well as actor and performer Idina Menzel, the late singer Selena Quintanilla, and visual artist Carrie Mae Weems.
