It is with great pride that we announce that Sarasota’s own, international circus legend Dolly Jacobs has been chosen by the National Endowment for the Arts to receive a National Heritage Fellowship award in Washington, D.C. It is the first time a circus performer has ever received this distinguished award, and it validates the mission of The Circus Arts Conservatory to raise the perception of the circus as a valuable form of art.

The two-day celebration begins on October 1 in the Library of Congress when NEA Chairman Jane Chu and Members of Congress will present the 2015 awards to Dolly and the other honorees. The event continues on Friday, October 2 with a prestigious National Heritage Fellowships Concert in Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University. The concert will feature Dolly performing her aerial act as well as other Heritage Fellowship Award artists, and it will be streamed live online.

“It’s an incredible honor. I truly take great pleasure in accepting it for all the great artists who came before me,” said Dolly. “We are dedicated to preserving the extraordinary heritage of the circus arts.”

Click HERE to read more about Dolly Jacobs and the upcoming NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award ceremonies.