84R23566 BK-D
 
  By: Guillen H.R. No. 2456
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, The Texas Commission on the Arts has announced the
  2015 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, The 2015 State Poet Laureate is San Antonio native
  Carmen Tafolla, a prolific poet, storyteller, performance artist,
  and motivational speaker who has earned critical acclaim for her
  work; she has published more than 20 books and is one of the most
  widely anthologized Latina writers today; chosen as the first Poet
  Laureate of the City of San Antonio in 2012, she visited over 300
  schools, universities, professional conferences, and community
  arts centers during the course of her two-year tenure; she has been
  accorded a host of accolades, which include the coveted Americas
  Award presented to her at the Library of Congress in 2010; and
         WHEREAS, Legendary Austin-based guitarist Jimmie Vaughan is
  this year's State Musician; as a founding member of The Fabulous
  Thunderbirds, Vaughan helped spark the revival of blues music on
  the pop charts with the release of eight albums and the success of
  hits like "Tuff Enuff"; he received two Grammy nominations with the
  band and later launched a solo career in 1994, gaining further
  prominence in the realm of modern roots music; his masterful
  playing, defined by vigor, authenticity, and originality, has
  earned him the admiration of such icons as Eric Clapton and B. B.
  King, and he was cited as the most formative influence on the career
  of his younger brother, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan; and
         WHEREAS, Vincent Valdez has been selected as the 2015 State
  Two-Dimensional Artist; he was educated at the renowned Rhode
  Island School of Design, and in 2004, a collection of his charcoal
  drawings was shown at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, making
  him the youngest artist, at age 26, to ever have a solo exhibition
  there; his work is now widely featured at such venues as the Los
  Angeles County Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Museum; born and
  raised in San Antonio, he currently serves as chair of the Drawing
  and Painting Department at the Southwest School of Art; and
         WHEREAS, Named the 2015 State Three-Dimensional Artist,
  sculptor Margo Sawyer of Elgin studied in England at the Brighton
  Polytechnic Faculty of Art and Design and at the Chelsea School of
  Art in London, before returning stateside to enroll in the Yale
  University sculpture program; through her work, she explores the
  concepts of space and transcendence, and she has recently
  specialized in creating large-scale installations that reflect her
  interest in architecture; she has been exhibited nationally and
  internationally, and in addition to pursuing her artistic vision,
  she is a professor of sculpture and studio art at The University of
  Texas at Austin; 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 House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
  Legislature hereby congratulate the 2015 Texas Commission on the
  Arts honorees and extend to them sincere best wishes for continued
  fulfillment in their creative endeavors.