Here Are Photos of Ellsworth Kelly Receiving the National Medal of Arts From President Obama

Ellsworth Kelly: always one step ahead of everyone else. While most of the New York art world was over at

The start of the presentation. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
Kelly, Obama, the medal. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Ellsworth Kelly: always one step ahead of everyone else. While most of the New York art world was over at Pace yesterday hanging out with Jay-Z, Mr. Kelly was down in Washington, D.C., hanging out with President Barack Obama. He received the National Medal of the Arts from President Obama, along with George Lucas, Joan Didion and a number of other luminaries. You can see the action in the photos above and below.

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The medal goes on. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
The medal goes on. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

It’s shaping up to be a pretty big year for the artist. He turned 90 in May, and while his sterling shows at Matthew Marks and Mnuchin recently closed, he currently has one-person exhibitions at MoMA, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and, in D.C., the National Gallery of Art and the Phillips Collection. He also produced a new work for Philadelphia’s Barnes Foundation.

(Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
(Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Congratulations, Mr. Kelly!

Here Are Photos of Ellsworth Kelly Receiving the National Medal of Arts From President Obama