Stanley Jacobs Becomes USVI’s First Winner of NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Commissioner Jean Pierre Oriol said that Virgin Islands cultural ambassador Stanley Jacobs, PhD has been awarded the 2022 National Endowment of the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. Jacobs is the first Virgin islander that has been awarded this esteemed honor.

The National Endowment for the Arts is continuing its long history of honoring America’s rich, artistic heritage with today’s announcement of the 2022 NEA National Heritage Fellowship recipients. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the program, our nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. A film celebrating the 2022 class of artists and tradition bearers will premiere in the fall on arts.gov.

“In their artistic practices, the NEA National Heritage Fellows tell their own stories on their own terms. They pass their skills and knowledge to others through mentorship and teaching,” said National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “These honorees are not only sustaining the cultural history of their art form and of their community, they are also enriching our nation as a whole.”

Each fellowship includes a $25,000 award and all of the recipients will be featured in a film that will premiere in November 2022 on arts.gov. Through the film, viewers will have the opportunity to visit the homes and communities where the fellows live and work, providing a connection to the distinct art forms and traditions these artist’s practice. Stay tuned for more information about the film this fall.