Conferred Honorary Degrees

CalArts confers honorary Doctor of Arts degrees to individuals who have consistently represented the bold innovation and visionary creativity championed by the Institute, and who have each made extraordinary contributions to contemporary arts and culture. 

Recipients

2023

N. Scott Momaday

2022

Esperanza Spalding
Wayne Shorter
Charles Lloyd

2018

Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds

2017

Steven D. Lavine
Glenn Edgerton

2016

Wadada Leo Smith
Don Cheadle

2015

Sheila Levrant de Bretteville
David Wilson

2014

John Lasseter

2013

Eric Fischl

2012

Peter Sellars

2011

Donald McKayle
Annette Bening

2010

Trimpin
William M. Lowman

2009

Morton Subotnick 
Elizabeth LeCompte

2008

Terry Riley
Herbert Blau
Harry Belafonte

2007

Alonzo King

2006

Rudy Perez
Rudy VanderLans

2005

Julius Shulman
Harrison “Buzz” Price
James Newton

2004

Daniel Nagrin
Christian Wolff

2003

Carolee Schneemann
Anna Halperin
Roy E. Disney

2002

Alice Coltrane

2001

Bruce Nauman
Faith Hubley
Ry Cooder

2000

Steve Reich
Bill Viola

1999

Ed Ruscha

1998

Lee Breuer

1997

Chantal Akerman

1996

Elvin Jones
Laurie Anderson

1995

Carolyn Forche
Betye Saar

1994 

Vija Celmins
Stan Brakhage

1993

Steven Bochco
Yvonne Rainer

1992

Ray Bradbury
Adrian Piper

1991

Pearl Primus
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan

1990

Lulu May Von Hagen
Beatrice Manley
Ornette Coleman

1989

Paul Taylor
Luis Valdez
Donn B. Tatum

1988

Trisha Brown 

1987

Frank O. Gehry

1986

John Cage

1985

Ravi Shankar

1983

Jan de Gaetani
Henry Mancini

1981

Bella Lewitzky
Mischa Schneider
Haskell Wexler

1980

Gordon Davidson

1978

Twyla Tharp

1977

Roy Lichtenstein

1975

Beverly Sills