By Elizabeth Willoughby on
Actor Robert Redford will be receiving the Duke LEAF Award to honor his many years of environmental achievements in the fine arts.
A new creation, the Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment established the annual Duke LEAF in homage to “artists whose work inspires environmental awareness and stewardship in others.”
Redford was their first choice. “Robert Redford gained fame as an actor but then used his fame to make major contributions to the social good,” said Duke President Richard H. Brodhead in a press release. “He has also been a powerful champion for the environment, and has galvanized public support for this vital issue. Duke is proud to honor him for a lifetime of service to society.”
The LEAF award, for Lifetime Environmental Achievement in the Fine Arts, is in response to the belief that the world is on an unsustainable course as consumption grows while resources shrink, and that any fundamental change to stop the inevitable result would require people to become motivated. “Artists who have inspired others to work for a more sustainable future through a body of work and advocacy are eligible for the award.”
“I am honored,” said Redford, “to be in the company of a school which has as its mission to train leaders of consequence for a sustainable future. Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment has a particularly unique creative and innovative bent to it, which makes it all the more meaningful to me.”
Redford will receive the award in the Page Auditorium at Duke University on 18 April.
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