Categories

Arts

John Heinz lived his life by the Socratic creed, the philosophy that life is made worth living by continuous questioning, examination and exploration. Keenly appreciative of the role that the arts play in building awareness of the self and of community, he viewed the arts as a medium through which a society examines its conscience and searches for its identity.

A lover of the written word, painting and music, John Heinz took great joy in the beauty and ideas inherent in every aspect of the creative process. He valued not only art itself but also the creators who shape our culture and help us all to better understand its challenges and value its achievements.

Concentrating on excellence in the visual arts, the Heinz Award in the Arts seeks to recognize individual creators whose singular work advances this same spirit of curiosity and faith in the power of the human mind and, in some way, enlightens the human experience.

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Economy

As a U.S. Senator, John Heinz articulated a broad and inclusive vision for our national and global economic future. He advocated for an economy driven by enterprise and innovation but that also valued and prepared workers, embraced human dignity, and respected the natural world.

His perceptiveness on this issue made him a man ahead of his time. Long before the language of economic inclusion cycled into favor, he spoke about the need for an economy that worked for everyone over the long haul. In this, he took his mandate from the challenges facing his home state of Pennsylvania. As long as Americans had the opportunity to perform quality work and were given the means to do so, he believed that the United States would remain a thriving power providing a high quality of life for its citizens and a beacon of responsible economic leadership in the world.

The Heinz Award in the Economy celebrates significant contributions to building a more dynamic, inclusive and sustainable economy. It honors individuals whose exceptional work advances prosperity through envisioning and promoting socially responsible policy and business practices.

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Environment

As with many people then and now, John Heinz came by his concern for the environment initially through his love of the outdoors. But it was his broad systems view coupled with his devotion to practical problem-solving that ultimately set him apart, helping him to forge a new and enduring vision for aligning environmental and economic interests based on sound science and thoughtful policy-making.

As a U.S. Senator, John Heinz backed legislation to protect natural resources and preserve natural heritage in Pennsylvania, expand parks and recreational areas, and maintain critical infrastructure. What that close-to-home work taught him was how interconnected the environment, the economy, and human well-being truly are, a critical lesson that formed the basis for his seminal national environmental work.

Joined by his friend U.S. Senator Timothy Wirth, he sponsored two groundbreaking studies on putting the marketplace to work on behalf of the environment instead of against it that ultimately facilitated passage of the landmark 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. He organized legislators from the world's major industrialized nations to work jointly on ending political paralysis on environmental issues. He also promoted the earliest debt-for-nature swaps to protect the world’s rainforests.

The Heinz Award in the Environment honors individuals who, like John Heinz, have confronted environmental concerns with a spirit of innovation and who demonstrate a similar blend of action and creativity in approaching the protection of our environment.

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