Bruce Sagan Awarded the National Medal of Arts

Bruce Sagan, a Chicago journalist and publisher by profession, has spent a lifetime as an active supporter of the arts and a builder of artistic institutions. In the 1960s, he helped create the independent theater scene in Chicago, opening the Harper Theater and founding the first festival for modern dance in the Midwest. Sagan developed the model that was adopted as the National Endowment for the Arts’ Dance Residency program. He also helped preserve Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, starting a lifelong dedication to architectural preservation and appreciation. In the 1970s, he was appointed to the Illinois Arts Council, which he chaired through the U.S. Bicentennial celebration, the creation of the Chicago Architecture Center, and an expansion of arts grantmaking across the state. As a board member of the Chicago Public library, he helped create the Chicago’s Cultural Center. 

Since the 1980s, he has served as trustee of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, leading the effort to build the company’s first permanent theater and supported the theater’s success as one of the leading repertory theaters in the United States. His involvement with the Joffrey Ballet dates back to 1965, when his Harper Dance Festival brought the company to Chicago for the first time. In 1995, he facilitated the Joffrey Ballet’s move from New York to Chicago, where he oversaw the creation of the Joffrey’s permanent home and school. Sagan was appointed to federal commissions by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and is a pioneer in the community newspaper business, protecting journalistic independence and adopting new technologies.

"The arts are crucial to the quality of life in our complex changing world. They help us to express ourselves and communicate with others. They both entertain us and educate us," says Sagan. "The National Medal of Arts is an appropriate way of acknowledging the creative genius of the artist and those who help to make sure that the art is shared with the community. The Medal ceremonies and the attendant media coverage helps the growth of the arts by widening the information about the artist and the art. 

I am, obviously, particularly glad that the National Endowment includes arts patrons and supporters, as that is the category that includes me. One hopes that by recognizing the arts’ need of support, others will be encouraged to participate. I have found my work with artists and their creative energies to be stimulating and internally rewarding. To now find I am being rewarded in a public manner by the Endowment? What can one say but: Thank you." 

Read the full announcement on the National Endowment for the Arts website.