The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize or Gish Prize is given annually to “a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life.”^[1] It is among the most prestigious and one of the richest prizes in the American arts, for example the 2010 winner (Chinua Achebe) received $300,000. The founders Dorothy Gish (1898–1968) and Lillian Gish (1893–1993) were sisters, famous as actresses from the silent era of film and mid-century theatre. About the prize, established in Lillian Gish's will, she said: “It is my desire, by establishing this prize, to give recipients of the prize the recognition they deserve, to bring attention to their contributions to society and encourage others to follow in their path.”^[1] It was established in 1994 by the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize Trust and administered by JPMorgan Chase Bank.^[1]

Recipients

Source:^[2]

• 1994: Frank Gehry, architect
• 1995: Ingmar Bergman, film director
• 1996: Robert Wilson, artist and director
• 1997: Bob Dylan, singer/songwriter
• 1998: Isabel Allende, author
• 1999: Arthur Miller, author and playwright^[3]
• 2000: Merce Cunningham, dancer and choreographer
• 2001: Jennifer Tipton, lighting director
• 2002: Lloyd Richards, theater director
• 2003: Bill T. Jones, dancer and choreographer
• 2004: Ornette Coleman, jazz innovator
• 2005: Peter Sellars, theater, opera and festival director
• 2006: Shirin Neshat, film maker^[4][5]
• 2007: Laurie Anderson, artist
• 2008: Robert Redford, actor
• 2009: Pete Seeger, musician^[6]
• 2010: Chinua Achebe, writer
• 2011: Trisha Brown, dancer, choreographer and artistic director^[7]
• 2012: Anna Deavere Smith, author, actor, educator^[8][9]
• 2013: Spike Lee, director, producer, writer, teacher^[10]
• 2014: Maya Lin, artist, architect^[11]
• 2015: Suzan-Lori Parks, playwright, screenwriter^[12]

Notes

1. "About". The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
2. "Past recipients". The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
3. Sean McGrath (July 20, 1999). "Arthur Miller to Receive 1999 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize". Playbill. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
4. Heidi Benson (September 22, 2006). "Iranian-born artist Neshat wins Gish Prize". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
5. Lynn Heffley (September 16, 2006). "Gish Prize goes to Shirin Neshat". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
6. Patrice O'Shaughnessy (September 8, 2009). "Folk icon Pete Seeger inspires boatload of fun". Daily News (New York). Retrieved September 30, 2012.
7. Daniel Wakin (September 7, 2011). "Trisha Brown Wins Gish Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
8. Mike Boehm (January 18, 2013). "Anna Deavere Smith wins $300,000 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize". LA Times. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
9. Patricia Cohen (January 17, 2013). "Anna Deavere Smith Wins Gish Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
10. Chris Lee (September 18, 2013). "Spike Lee awarded $300,000 Gish Prize". LA Times. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
11. Graham Bowly (October 7, 2014). "Maya Lin Wins $300,000 Gish Prize". New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
12. Piepenburg, Erik (14 October 2015). "Suzan-Lori Parks Is Awarded the Gish Prize". New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2015.

External links

• The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, official website.