President Obama awards Mayor Riley with the National Medal of Arts

President Obama chummed it up with Charleston's very own Mayor Joe Riley yesterday at the White House when he awarded Riley and a handful of other recipients the National Medal of Arts.

The prestigious award was granted to our fine Mayor for his work cultivating historic and cultural resources to reinvigorate the city, and for his role creating the national Mayors' Institute on City Design to enhance the use of urban spaces.

Riley had this to say in response to receiving the award:

 

"This award is a recognition of the city that I am privileged to serve and a recognition of the work of our community to build and maintain a beautiful and livable city that is a national treasure..."

The Post and Courier recounts yesterday's award ceremony nicely, go take a read.

If you're the press release-reading type, here it is.

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