South Florida Classical Review

President Obama presents Lin Arison with the National Medal of Arts award Wednesday at the White House. Photo: Karen Goodman

President Obama presented the 2012 National Medal of Arts award Wednesday to Lin Arison, the Bal Harbour philanthropist who helped found the New World Symphony.

Arison and her late husband Ted, founder of Carnival Cruise Lines, bankrolled the orchestra in the late 1980s and remained major supporters, helping to create one of South Florida’s most respected and successful arts and educational organizations.

Arison was honored “for her contributions as a philanthropist and arts education advocate, as co-Founder of the National YoungArts Foundation and the New World Symphony.

“I am honored and deeply humbled to have been included among those who received the 2012 National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama,” stated Ms. Arison at Wednesday’s ceremony. “To me, this award is a testament to the President’s recognition of the incredible work of the next generation of young artists in this country.

First Lady Michelle Obama also attended the ceremony, which was held in the East Room of the White House. Among the dozen other honorees were the soprano Renée Fleming, playwright Tony Kushner and Star Wars creator George Lucas.

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