THE PRESIDENT AND MRS. CLINTON HONOR THE 1997 NATIONAL MEDAL OF ARTS RECIPIENTS AND THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF HUMANITIES RECIPIENTS AT WHITE HOUSE DINNER

Washington, D.C. - -President and Mrs. Clinton this evening are hosting the 1997 National Medal of Arts Recipients and the National Medal of Humanities Recipients at a White House black tie dinner. Guests will begin arriving at the East Executive Entranc e at 7:00 p.m..

The guests will be seated at round tables in the State Dining Room. The tables will be set with Reagan china, Morgantown crystal, and vermeil flatware, on a damask red, gold, and blue striped tablecloth.

The floral center pieces feature ambiance, sari, and golden yellow roses, red and yellow celosia and fall berries in assorted vermeil containers. The center pieces will be surrounded by four 11 inch classic gold candle sticks and gold tapers.

Following dinner, the guests will be entertained in the East Room by violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg, one of the world's foremost violinists, began her career at in Rome, where she began her violin training at the age of five. At the age of eight, she emigrated with her family to the United States to study at The Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. She later moved to New York to study at the Julliard School. Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg is the recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and winner of the Walter W. Naumburg 1981 International Violin Competition.

Joining Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg is Andrew Litton, pianist and director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Litton won the 1997 Grammy for best choral recording of Walter's Belshazzar's Feast. Prior to joining the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Litton spent six years as principal conductor and artistic advisor of Britain's Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

The Honored Recipients are:

National Medal of Arts:
Louise Bourgeois, sculptor, visual artist; New York City, New York
Betty Carter, jazz vocalist; Brooklyn, New York
Agnes Gund, patron of the arts; New York City, New York
Daniel Urban Kiley, landscape architect; Charlotte, Vermont
Angela Lansbury, actor; Los Angeles, California
James Levine, artistic director for the Metropolitan Opera, pianist; New York City, New York
Tito Puente, Latin percussionist, musician; New York City, New York
Jason Robards, actor; Southport, Connecticut
Edward Villella, artistic director for Miami City Ballet, dancer; Miami, Florida
Doc Watson, bluegrass and old-time music guitarist and vocalist; Deep Gap, North Carolina
The MacDowell Colony, artist colony/organization; Peterborough, New Hampshire

National Humanities Medal:

Nina M. Archabal, museum director and historian; St. Paul, Minnesota
David A. Berry, community college educator; Millburn, New Jersey
Richard J. Franke, cultural advocate; Chicago, Illinois
William Friday, higher education administrator and humanities educator; Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Don Henley, musician and philanthropist; Los Angeles, California
Maxine Hong Kingston, teacher and writer about the Chinese-American experience; Oakland, California
Luis Leal, scholar of Chicano studies; Santa Barbara, California
Martin E. Marty, scholar of American religious history; Chicago, Illinois
Paul Mellon, philanthropist; Upperville, Virginia
Studs Terkel, radio talk-show host, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and oral historian; Chicago, Illinois

THE DINNER MENU
Crispy Fillet of Sea Bass Risotto of Acorn Squash & Fingerling Potato Kaffir Infused Tomato Broth Stuffed Pheasant Pinot Noir Stewed Black Mission Figs Layered Portobello, Baby Spinach Saffron Scented Amaranth Sage Fritter Salad of Young Herbs & Mache Maytag Bleu Cheese Souffle Asian Pear Pumpkin Seed Oil Dressing Autumn Bounty Pecan and Pumpkin Cookies
Wines: Clos Pegase "Mitsuko Vineyard" Chardonnay, 1995 - California Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, 1992 - California Schramsberg "Cremant" 1992 - California

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