The prestigious artist residency program, MacDowell, has bestowed the Edward MacDowell Medal for lifetime achievement upon the renowned artist, filmmaker, and musician Yoko Ono. This honor places her among esteemed past recipients such as Stephen Sondheim and Toni Morrison. The chair of MacDowell’s board, Nell Painter, praised Ono’s unparalleled contributions in a statement, highlighting her seven decades of influential work. Painter remarked on how Ono’s art continues to captivate audiences, stimulate intellectual engagement, support feminist movements, and advocate for migrant rights, all while remaining strikingly relevant and innovative. Painter emphasized that Ono’s work, celebrated for its enduring call for peace, resonates deeply with contemporary societal needs.
Sean Ono Lennon, Yoko Ono’s son, expressed his pride and gratitude regarding the award, recognizing the significance of the honor in the context of its distinguished history. Although Yoko Ono, now 91, has rarely appeared in public recently, she will not attend the upcoming award ceremony at MacDowell’s campus in Peterborough, New Hampshire. David Newgarden, Ono’s music manager, will receive the medal on her behalf.
Yoko Ono’s artistic journey began with her involvement in the avant-garde Fluxus movement during the 1960s, and she gained worldwide recognition through her partnership with John Lennon. Their collaborations produced iconic songs like “Give Peace a Chance,” “Imagine,” and “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” The latter inspired the Oscar-winning animated short film “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko.” Over the last four decades, Ono has maintained a prolific career in both visual and recording arts, with albums such as “Season of Glass,” “Starpeace,” and “Take Me to the Land of Hell.” Her work was recently celebrated in a comprehensive retrospective at Tate Modern in London.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/yoko-ono-edward-macdowell-medal-c074763fad3b55620f34f20e0a1219e7