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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Rick Lowe of Houston has been named the 2015 Texas |
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Medal of Arts honoree for Visual Arts by the Texas Cultural Trust; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Medal of Arts program pays tribute to |
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residents of the Lone Star State who have made significant |
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contributions to a variety of artistic disciplines in the state, |
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either through personal achievement or through generous support; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Alabama, Mr. Lowe attended Columbus |
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College in Georgia and subsequently studied visual arts at Texas |
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Southern University; in 1993, he cofounded the nonprofit Project |
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Row Houses, which brought together local artists and volunteers to |
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restore 22 dilapidated shotgun-style houses in Houston's historic |
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Third Ward and to transform that two-block site into an arts venue |
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and community support center; over the years, the scope of the |
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initiative has been dramatically expanded to provide youth arts |
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education programs, exhibition spaces and studio residences for |
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artists, housing for young mothers, and even an organic gardening |
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program; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to his achievements in his own |
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community, Mr. Lowe has helped establish arts-driven redevelopment |
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efforts in a number of other cities, including the Watts House |
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Project in Los Angeles, the post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding |
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project Transforma in New Orleans, and a community market in |
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Dallas; he has also assisted with such community building efforts |
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as the Arts Plan for the Seattle Public Library, the Borough Project |
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for the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, and the |
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Delray Beach Cultural Loop in Florida; and |
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WHEREAS, The work of this world-renowned artist has been |
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exhibited in the Contemporary Arts Museum and the Museum of Fine |
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Arts in Houston, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the |
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Gwangju Biennale in South Korea, and the Venice Architecture |
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Biennale; appointed to the National Council on the Arts by |
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President Barack Obama in 2013, he also serves today as |
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artist-in-residence at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas and as |
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a Mel King Community Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of |
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Technology; in recognition of his visionary efforts, he was |
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selected as a 2014 MacArthur Fellow; and |
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WHEREAS, Rick Lowe has touched countless individuals through |
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his art and has used his extraordinary gifts to enhance the quality |
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of life in his community and in cities across the nation, and he is |
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most deserving of this prestigious accolade; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Rick Lowe on his selection as the |
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2015 Texas Medal of Arts honoree for Visual Arts by the Texas |
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Cultural Trust and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued |
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success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Lowe as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |