John D. and Catherine MacArthur Foundation. This grant was part of a five-year program where 21 MacArthur Prize Fellows would be awarded a yearly sum for their achievements in creativity. In 1983 she received the Presidential Medal for Arts from President Reagan. In 1986 Lewis received the Monarch Award from the National Council for Culture and Art. Each year the Council awarded two individuals for live achievements in the performing and visual arts. Community Involvement Lewis became known as the Grande Dame of Arts in Roxbury due to her school, achievements in performing arts, and her community involvement. Lewis often traveled around the world to speak at conferences and inform on the state of African-American culture as well as her experiences in running the NCAAA. In 1980, Lewis was diagnosed with diabetes. She continued to spearhead cultural programs throughout Boston. She started the Elma Lewis Playhouse in Franklin Park during the summer months which boasted artists such as Duke Ellington and Arthur Fiedler. She further launched a clean-up campaign remove debris and drug paraphernalia from Franklin Park. The Elma Lewis Playhouse was renamed the Elma Lewis Theater at Franklin Park in 2003. In September 1996, Roxbury hosted a salute to the “Grande Dame,” which was a three day birthday celebration of Lewis's achievements and life. It included events at many venues around the city and attracted prominent members of society including poet Maya Angelou and the UN Ambassador. Lewis was beginning to suffer from severe complications of diabetes. For her 76th birthday, she collected papers, photographs, musical notes, and other memorabilia to give to Northeastern University for a living archive. Death On January 1, 2004, Elma Lewis died at the age of 82 in her Boston home from pulmonary complications stemming from diabetes. References External links The Elma Lewis papers are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts records, 1954-1992 are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. The National Center of Afro–American Artists records 1924–1998 are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. The Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists records, 1966-1998 are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. The John Ross papers, 1963-2006 are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections