More than a thousand arts lovers from around the region gathered on Sunday, July 23 as the 63rd Edward MacDowell Medal was presented to esteemed filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin during a free and open-to-the-public celebration.
After a brief award ceremony, visitors enjoyed a picnic lunch before artists-in-residence opened their studios to the public, giving attendees the unique opportunity to look behind the scenes of the nation’s oldest artist residency and speak with the creators about their work.
Obomsawin was selected by a panel chaired by Tabitha Jackson, former director of the Sundance Film Festival. Joining her on the panel are Bird Runningwater, who guides the Sundance Institute’s investment in Native American and Indigenous filmmakers; MacDowell Fellows and filmmakers Natalia Almada, Rodney Evans, and So Yong Kim; MacDowell Fellow and Board Member Julia Solomonoff, and board member Josh Siegel, film curator at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Award-winning speaker and best-selling author Jesse Wente gave the presentation speech on Obomsawin’s impact on the culture and her career in documentary filmmaking.
View videos and images of the day below.