The National Council of the Arts is an independent federal agency that provides advice to the President and Congress on matters of national policy related to the arts. The Council also serves as a national advocate for the arts, working to ensure that the arts remain a vital part of the nation's education,
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government. Nominations are submitted to the National Council on the Arts, the advisory committee of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), who then submits its recommendations to the White House for the president of the United States to award. The medal was designed for the NEA by sculptor Robert Graham.