Chicago Journalist and Arts Advocate Bruce Sagan Receives National Medal of Arts at White House Ceremony

Vicki Crain, Better Magazine

November 8, 2024

Last month, Chicagoan Bruce Sagan traveled to Washington, D.C., to receive the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor for artists and arts patrons in U.S., for his contributions as an Arts Leader. President Joseph R. Biden presented the 2022 and 2023 awards on October 21, 2024 in a private ceremony at The White House. Among Sagan’s fellow 2022 honorees were Broadway singer Idina Menzel and actress Eva Longoria. 2023 awardees included filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Spike Lee, and artist and actress Queen Latifah.

Sagan has made lasting contributions to the arts, journalism, and cultural preservation. Throughout his seven-decade career, he has been instrumental in building Chicago’s arts landscape, starting with his work in the 1960s to cultivate the city’s independent theater and dance scenes. 

His preservation efforts began with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House and expanded into a lifelong dedication to architectural conservation.

As Chairman of the Illinois Arts Council during the U.S. Bicentennial, Sagan championed state arts funding and helped establish the Chicago Architecture Center. His civic engagement extended to the Chicago Public Library, where he played a crucial role in creating the city’s Cultural Center. Sagan’s support of Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the Joffrey Ballet, which he helped bring to Chicago permanently in 1995, has cemented his legacy in the performing arts.

“Bruce being given the highest honor from the Oval Office is no surprise to the Joffrey,” said Joffrey President and CEO, Greg Cameron. “Since the very beginning, Bruce’s belief in our work, his support and encouragement, and generous philanthropy at pivotal moments in the Joffrey’s history have helped us flourish into the company we are today; he was instrumental in bringing the company to Chicago in 1995 and establishing our home in Joffrey Tower. Bruce is a champion of the arts and a champion of the Joffrey.”

Sagan’s contributions to journalism include serving as publisher of the Hyde Park Herald, President of the Illinois Press Association, and Chairman of the Illinois Arts Council. Today, he continues to serve on the boards of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Chicago Public Library Foundation, and the Joffrey Ballet, embodying a lifelong commitment to Chicago’s cultural and artistic growth.

In conjunction with The White House, the National Endowment for the Arts manages the nomination process for the National Medal of Arts which honors individuals or groups who deserve special recognition for their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the U.S.

“The arts are crucial to the quality of life in our complex changing world. They help us to express ourselves and communicate to others. They both entertain us and educate us,” said Sagan in a written statement. “The National Medal of Arts acknowledges both the creative genius of the artist, and the arts patrons and supporters, like me, who help make sure that the art is shared with the community. I have found my work with artists and their creative energies to be stimulating and internally rewarding. To be rewarded in a public manner by the National Endowment for the Arts? What can one say but: Thank you.”