Austin, TX (Top40 Charts/ Texas Cultural Trust) At a special event at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Winspear Opera House in Dallas today, the
Texas Cultural
Trust announced its 2011 honorees and unveiled details of the March 1
Texas Medal of Arts Awards Show, Gala Dinner and Starlight After Party at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas. The honor, inspired by the
National Medal of Arts, has been bestowed upon 59
Texas leaders and luminaries in the arts and entertainment industry for creative excellence and exemplary talents since its inception in 2001. This year, a dozen honorees from Alley Theatre to
ZZ Top join the list.
The Texas Medal of Arts Awards is a full evening of events kicking off with the Gala Dinner where guests will sit alongside Texas arts, business, legislative, and entertainment notables. The dinner is then followed by the Awards Show emceed by 60 Minutes' Scott Pelley to spotlight Texas' best talents in film, television, literature, multi-media, corporate, patron, music, theater, visual arts and many more.
Medals will be presented by Governor Rick Perry and the Awards show will include live performances ranging from high art to high octane starting at 8 p.m. The night comes to a memorable end with the Starlight After Party at 10:00 p.m. featuring live music by Dale Watson & His Lone Stars and Will Taylor & Strings Attached performing House of Wills: Songs of Willie Nelson in the Style of Bob Wills.
And the 2011 Texas Medal of Arts Awards honorees are...
- Lifetime Achievement - Barbara Smith Conrad: Mezzo-soprano and civil rights icon whose voice has filled renowned opera houses throughout the world (Pittsburgh, TX);
- Literary - Robert M. Edsel: Author and founder/president of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art which received the 2007 National Humanities Medal (Dallas, TX);
- Art Education - Tom Staley: Educator, author, and Director of the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX);
- Visual Arts - James Drake: An internationally acclaimed artist honored with inclusion in the Venice Biennale and the Whitney Biennial and whose work is in the permanent collections of over 30 museums around the world (Lubbock, TX);
- Theatre - Alley Theatre: Internationally recognized company and recipient of the Tony Award (Houston, TX);
- Corporate - H-E-B: Grocer with 329 stores and 76,000 employees in 155 communities throughout Texas and Mexico; boasting a long history of supporting the arts throughout the state (Kerrville, TX);
- Journalism - Bob Schieffer: CBS News Anchor of the Weekend Edition and broadcasting hall of famer (Ft. Worth, TX);
- Multi-Media - Ray Benson: Nine-time Grammy-winning front man of the Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel and co-writer of the play A Ride With Bob based on the life and music of Bob Wills (Austin, TX);
- Individual Patrons - Ernest and Sarah Butler: Major donors to Austin Symphony Orchestra, the Blanton Museum of Art, the Long Center, Ballet Austin, University of Texas School of Music, and the Austin Lyric Opera (Austin, TX);
- Film-Actress - Marcia Gay Harden: Oscar-winning actress with roles in such films as Pollock, Millers Crossing, The First Wives Club, and Mona Lisa Smile (UT Austin Graduate, Austin, TX);
- Film-Actor - Bill Paxton: Four-time Golden Globe nominee and star of Tombstone, True Lies, Apollo 13, Twister, Titanic, and hit HBO series Big Love (Ft. Worth, TX);
- Music - ZZ Top: Legendary band that has sold over 50 million albums worldwide with eight Top 40 hits including "Legs" and "Sharp Dressed Man"; Ranked in the top 50 of VH1's "Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" (Houston, TX).
Previous honorees include Willie Nelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Laura W. Bush, Van Cliburn, Robert Rodriguez, Walter Cronkite, Nancy B. Hamon, Sandra Cisneros, Robert Raushcenberg, Clint Black, Nasher Foundation, Lyle Lovett, Austin City Limits, Neiman Marcus and Exxon Mobil.
| WHEN: | | Tuesday, March 1; 5:30 p.m. - 1 a.m. |
| WHERE: | | The Long Center for the Performing Arts |
| | 701 West Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas 78704 |
| TIX: | | $40: Awards Show, $75 Awards Show + Starlight, $750 Gala through Starlight |
| WEB: | | www.txculturaltrust.org/tmaa and on Facebook and Twitter @txculturaltrust |
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ABOUT THE TEXAS MEDAL OF ARTS AWARDS
The Texas Medal of Arts Awards-the signature event of the Texas Cultural Trust-spotlights and celebrates the creative excellence, exemplary talents and outstanding contributions by Texans in selected categories, ultimately featuring the best in Texas. The Awards honor citizens who have achieved greatness through their creative talents as well as those whose philanthropic generosity has opened doors to artistic opportunity for Texans of all ages. The Texas Medal of Arts Awards highlights the importance of the arts in our children's education, to the State's economy, and to our proud and special Texas culture.
ABOUT THE TEXAS CULTURAL TRUST
Established in 1995, the Texas Cultural Trust is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that raises private dollars statewide to elevate the importance of art education and heighten arts awareness. The Texas Cultural Trust supports the programs of the Texas Commission on the Arts and other qualifying state agencies. In addition to the biennial Texas Medal of Arts Awards, some of the Trust's other programs include the Young Masters Scholarship Program, the Art of Economic Development, Art and Digital Media curriculum for public school students, Adventures in the ARTS children's book, Texas Women for the Arts, Founders for the Arts, and young professionals group: strataTX. www.txculturaltrust.org
