By: Darby (Senate Sponsor - Perry) H.C.R. No. 24

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 2021; May 10, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Administration; May 20, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 20, 2021, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The city of San Angelo has become a vibrant showcase for the visual arts, featuring a variety of engaging public artworks as well as a diverse mix of outstanding museums, galleries, and studios; and

WHEREAS, The hub of the city's arts community is a 200-acre cultural district along the south bank of the Concho River, which is anchored by the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts; the recipient of a number of prestigious national awards, SAMFA includes an extensive permanent collection and also serves as the headquarters of the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art; in addition, the museum sponsors an arts education program that draws over 33,000 children each year, and it hosts several prominent arts events: the San Angelo National Ceramic Competition, EnPleinAirTEXAS, and the Richard and Pam Salmon Sculpture Competition, which brings large-scale works to Sunken Garden Park; other attractions in the cultural district include the Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, which has served as the site of the American Plains Artists juried exhibition; and

WHEREAS, San Angelo also boasts the Pop Art Open Air Museum, which features free public works by Texas artists; the display is organized by the Art in Uncommon Places organization, and that group has partnered with Downtown San Angelo, Inc., to create another outdoor site, Paintbrush Alley, to exhibit paintings inspired by Texas culture and the classic motion picture Giant; other public art projects include some 100 colorful sheep sculptures found throughout town that have been painted by local artists and the Historic Murals of San Angelo, which depict iconic scenes related to the area's past; moreover, the city is one of only three in Texas to have a permanent "Don't Mess with Texas" mural; and

WHEREAS, The dynamic arts community in San Angelo encompasses nearly three dozen galleries and studios; more than 250 sculptures and statues are displayed at local businesses, schools, parks, and other locations, and the city is the site of such popular events as the Chicken Farm Art Center Open House, which has taken place each year for nearly a half century; and

WHEREAS, San Angelo's art scene has drawn statewide and national attention from media outlets, including Western Art & Architecture, Texas Highways, and True West magazines; a further tribute to the city's cultural riches came in 2019, when the European Union ambassador to the United States selected 32 pieces of art on loan from the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts for display in his home in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, The city of San Angelo has become an epicenter for art lovers from across the state and around the nation, and its unique concentration of talented artists, imaginative exhibits, and an enthusiastic arts community make it truly deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate the city of San Angelo as the official Visual Arts Capital of Texas; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally passed by the legislature.

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