1-1 1 1-2 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 643 1-3 WHEREAS, The Texas Senate takes great pride in recognizing 1-4 12-year-old Beso Kazaishvili, renowned art prodigy from the 1-5 Republic of Georgia, who will be showing his work at the Milan 1-6 Gallery in Fort Worth, Texas, from April 15, 1999, through 1-7 April 30, 1999; and 1-8 WHEREAS, Exposed to civil war in his country while it was a 1-9 Soviet republic, Beso began to draw when he was four years old; his 1-10 paintings show the violence and pain he saw reflected around him; 1-11 and 1-12 WHEREAS, Beso has committed himself to completing 265 "peace 1-13 paintings," one for each nation on earth; during the next two years, 1-14 the paintings will be assembled into a giant mural which the young 1-15 artist calls his Wall of Peace; and 1-16 WHEREAS, Beso opened his first art show in the United States 1-17 in January, 1998, and his California debut caused a genuine flurry 1-18 among the media; when his first exhibit was shown in London, all 40 1-19 of his works sold out before the prestigious gallery officially 1-20 opened his show; and 1-21 WHEREAS, With powerful images, Beso's drawings and paintings 1-22 have the sophistication and grace of a master; he uses themes of 1-23 good and evil, and his chiaroscuro shows his unusual maturity as a 1-24 painter; and 2-1 WHEREAS, This enterprising young artist has established the 2-2 New Millennium Festival of Peace; this is an international art 2-3 festival designed to bring representative groups of children from 2-4 every nation together in a joint commitment by today's children for 2-5 peace in the next century; the peace festival will take place in 2-6 the summer of 2000; and 2-7 WHEREAS, At each exhibition or personal appearance, Beso 2-8 recruits soldiers, who are children, into his Peace Army by having 2-9 the young people sign an oath stating their commitment to peace in 2-10 the 21st century; and 2-11 WHEREAS, During his visit to Salt Lake City, he and his art 2-12 were covered extensively by network news and local newspapers, and 2-13 ABC broadcast his story throughout the nation; now, therefore, be it 2-14 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 2-15 76th Legislature, hereby pay tribute to Georgian artist 2-16 Beso Kazaishvili for his extraordinary contributions to both 2-17 the world of art and geopolitics; and, be it further 2-18 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for 2-19 him as an expression of the highest esteem and regard of the 2-20 Texas Senate. 2-21 Moncrief 2-22 ______________________________________ 2-23 President of the Senate 2-24 I hereby certify that the above 2-25 Resolution was adopted by the Senate 2-26 on April 14, 1999. 2-27 ______________________________________ 2-28 Secretary of the Senate 2-29 ______________________________________ 2-30 Member, Texas Senate