Missy Elliott, Eva Longoria, Queen Latifah, Idina Menzel, Ken Burns, Spike Lee, and Steven Spielberg were among 20 people awarded the National Medal Of The Arts at a gala in Washington on Monday. Selena Quintanilla, artist Ruth Asawa, and chef-author Anthony Bourdain were honored posthumously. President Biden presented the medals at a private ceremony at the White House, followed by a reception. The prestigious arts medals are given “to individuals or groups who are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States.”(UPI)
