SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 683

WHEREAS, The Texas Commission on the Arts has announced the 2013 appointments for the positions of State Poet Laureate, State Musician, State Two-Dimensional Artist, and State Three-Dimensional Artist; and

WHEREAS, The state's highest accolade for excellence in the arts, designation as a Texas State Artist is conferred on those individuals who represent the best of our rich and diverse artistic community and who inspire others through their unique creative expression; and

WHEREAS, San Antonio native Rosemary Catacalos is the 2013 Texas State Poet Laureate; in 1985, she received the Texas Institute of Letters poetry prize for her first full-length collection of poems, Again for the First Time, which is scheduled for reissue on its 30th anniversary; her work has been widely published in high school and college textbooks, and it has twice appeared in the annual Best American Poetry anthology; from 2003 to 2012, she served as executive-artistic director of Gemini Ink, a community-focused literary center in San Antonio; and

WHEREAS, The 2013 Texas State Musician is Austin-based Craig Hella Johnson, one of the most influential choral conductors of today; as founder and artistic director of Conspirare, he has formed an award-winning ensemble whose mission is to create transformative concert experiences; he is also artistic director of the critically acclaimed Victoria Bach Festival, which draws musicians from across the country, and in 2012, he became the first artist-in-residence at the Texas State University School of Music; and

WHEREAS, Jim Woodson has been selected as the 2013 Texas State Two-Dimensional Artist; born in Waco, he has produced an impressive body of work over a career spanning more than five decades, and he is widely known for his high desert landscapes; his paintings have been featured in such prestigious exhibitions as the Florence Biennale and are held in many private and public collections, including those of the Amarillo Art Center, Belo Corporation, the El Paso Museum of Art, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; and

WHEREAS, Named 2013 Texas State Three-Dimensional Artist, Joseph Havel joined the staff of the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in 1991 and became director of the institution five years later; one of his best-known sculptures, Curtain, was commissioned by the museum to frame the doorway to the Audrey Jones Beck Building; the Dallas Museum of Art and the Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, have also added his works to their collections, and his pieces have been exhibited extensively in Europe and in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The artists who have been selected to hold these prestigious posts have all greatly contributed to the vibrant cultural life of the Lone Star State, and Texas is indeed fortunate to be home to these talented individuals; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd Legislature, hereby congratulate the 2013 Texas Commission on the Arts honorees and extend to them sincere best wishes for continued fulfillment in their creative endeavors; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in honor of these outstanding artists as an expression of esteem from the Texas Senate.

Deuell

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on April 30, 2013.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate