WASHINGTON D.C. (CelebrityAccess) — The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was recognized with a National Medal of Arts by President Joe Biden during a special ceremony at the White House on Monday.
The Hall of Fame and museum was one of twenty people and organizations who were honored with the award this year, recognizing their contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States.
Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young was on hand to accept the medal on behalf of the organization. Young has been an employee of the museum for more than four decades, orchestrating its move from Nashville’s Music Row to the city’s downtown in 2001 and major expansion in 2014.
“Our museum and country music itself were both born of humble beginnings — an origin that made it common for many to dismiss the artform or any careful study of it,” said Young. “The National Medal of Arts is a treasured validation of our longtime commitment to country music’s cultural significance, even when our work was not considered a serious endeavor. For more than a century, this music has given voice to the thoughts, feelings, hardships, triumphs and values of our country’s people. This prestigious recognition, to me, says that our institution is on the right track — collecting, studying and cherishing country music while holding to a broad approach including all forms of American vernacular music in its narrative. The institution’s achievements have not come without a fair share of challenges and risks, but resilience was born out of humble beginnings — for both the music and its museum. And the story is still being written. With country music now recognized and received globally, our role has not changed. We will continue to preserve and interpret its past, present and future, while holding it carefully in the public trust for future generations.”
