Painter and printmaker Will Barnet received one of the country's highest honors Monday when President Obama presented him with a National Medal of Arts.

Barnet, 100, has deep Maine ties. Much of the inspiration for his artistic vision derives from his time in Maine, particularly in and around the midcoast area of Phippsburg.

Barnet, who lives in New York most of the year, received his medal in an East Room ceremony at the White House.

The White House cited Barnet "for his contributions as an American painter, printmaker and teacher. His nuanced and graceful depictions of family and personal scenes, for which he is best known, are meticulously constructed of flat planes that reveal a lifelong exploration of abstraction, expressionism and geometry. For more than 80 years, Mr. Barnet has been a constant force in the visual arts world, marrying sophistication and emotion with beauty and form."

Among others who received honors Monday were actor Al Pacino, country music great Mel Tillis and pianist Andre Watts.

In remarks before conferring the medals, Obama praised artists for their contributions to society, and characterized those honored as "icons" for their courage to "dwell in possibilities."

"As much as we need engineers and scientists," the president said, "we also need artists and scholars ... to disrupt our views and challenge our assumptions."

Susan Danly, senior curator at the Portland Museum of Art, said the museum has 13 Barnet images in its collection, though none is currently on view.

"We are very proud of him," Danly said.

"This is a top honor bestowed on an artist in the country, and certainly Will Barnet is one of the pre-eminent painters in Maine today. He has a longstanding love of New England and of Maine."