WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art will salute the distinguished career of artist Cindy Sherman and the leadership of Ann L. Gund, Jo Carole Lauder, Wendy W. Luers, Carol Price and Eden Rafshoon of the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies Tuesday, Oct. 25. These honorees will receive the Archives of American Art Medal at the organization’s annual benefit at 583 Park Avenue in New York City. On the same evening, the Archives’ Lawrence A. Fleischman Award for Scholarly Excellence in the Field of American Art History will be presented to Dore Ashton.

Each year, the Archives of American Art Medal honors leaders in the field of American art. Past award recipients include John Baldessari, Eli Broad, Chuck Close, Paula Cooper, André Emmerich, Agnes Gund, Ellsworth Kelly and Joel Shapiro. The Lawrence A. Fleischman Award for Scholarly Excellence in the Field of American Art History was established in 1998 as a tribute to Archives co-founder Lawrence A. Fleischman. Past recipients include Wanda Corn, Linda Ferber, Robert Storr and John Wilmerding.

The event’s chairs are Arthur Cohen and Ellen Phelan, supported by a host committee of prominent artists, dealers, collectors and patrons from the American art community.

The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art enlivens the extraordinary human stories behind America’s most significant art and artists. It is the world’s preeminent resource dedicated to collecting and preserving the papers and primary records of the visual arts in America. Constantly growing in range and depth, and ever increasing in accessibility to its many audiences, it is a vibrant, unparalleled and essential resource for the appreciation, enjoyment and understanding of art in America.