On Monday, July 28, President Obama awarded artist James Turrell and architects Billie Tsien and Tod Williams with the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government. The award was given to nineteen other recipients, including documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles, dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones, and arts patron Joan Harris. During the ceremony, President Obama said, “The arts and humanities aren't just there to be consumed when we have a moment. We need them." 

Turrell is best known for his groundbreaking exploration of light, color, and space. His immersive works push the boundaries of human perception and create all-encompassing sensory experiences. Turrell has said, “My work has no object, no image and no focus. With no object, no image and no focus, what are you looking at? You are looking at you looking. What is important to me is to create an experience of wordless thought.”