BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.C.R. 83
	By: Lambert (Perry)
	Administration
	5/16/2017
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

For more than four decades, the city of Stamford has played host to the Stamford Art Foundation Western Art Show, the oldest continuously held art show and sale in Texas and the third-oldest event of its kind in the United States.

First curated in 1974, the Western Art Show was organized through the efforts of community and business leaders and prominent ranchers in the Stamford area, all of whom shared an interest in the promotion and preservation of Western heritage and culture. Early supporters of the show included Western movie stars, former Texas governors, and many individuals who are enshrined in the ProRodeo and the National and Texas Cowboy Halls of Fame.

Over the course of its history the Stamford Western Art Show has displayed paintings, drawings, and sculptures from some of the most famous artists of Texas and the West, among whom are luminaries of the Cowboy Artists of America organization and multiple individuals who have been chosen as Texas State Artist by the Texas Commission on the Arts.

This prestigious event is operated by the nonprofit Stamford Art Foundation, and the show is a broad-based community initiative that draws on the efforts of the organization's board of directors as well as an additional 130 or more volunteers. Proceeds from tickets and art sales benefit the West Texas Rehabilitation Center, which provides outpatient therapy and rehabilitation services to more than 500 patients daily, regardless of their ability to pay, from locations in Abilene, San Angelo, and Ozona.

The Western Art Show in Stamford is a prominent event that pays tribute to the treasured legacy of the American West and features the premier artists of the genre, and it is indeed fitting to recognize the community that has been home to this exciting showcase for more than four decades.

RESOLVED

That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate the city of Stamford as the Western Art Show Capital of Texas.

That, in accordance with the provisions of Section 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect until the 10th anniversary of its designation.