A Texas Medal of Arts and a paintbrush painted to represent the Texas flag

Texas Cultural Trust Announces Selection Committee for 2017 Texas Medal of Arts Awards

by Texas Cultural Trust

“The talent that comes from Texas is as vast and diverse as the state itself,” said Guillermo Nicolas of San Antonio, Co-chair of the 2017 Texas Medal of Arts. “We are delighted that such esteemed individuals, people considered authorities in their respective fields, have agreed to give their time and influence to help guide the honoree selection process. This statewide gala is the preeminent arts event of the season, and we look forward to what their input will bring to the 2017 class of honorees.”

A respected group of statewide experts will be helping to award honorees in the following categories: Music, Film, Dance, Visual Arts, Corporate, Foundation and Individual Arts Patron, Multimedia, Television, Architecture, Theatre, Arts Education, Literary Arts, Design, and Lifetime Achievement.

The 2017 Texas Medal of Arts Selection Committee:
Debbie Allen, Houston – Texas Medal of Arts Honoree, Dance
Brendon Anthony, Austin – Texas Music Office, Director
Gigi Antoni, Dallas – Big Thought, President; Texas Medal of Arts Honoree, Arts
Education
Don Bacigalupi, Austin/Houston – Lucas Museum, President; At-Large Member
Ray Benson, Austin – Texas Cultural Trust Board Member; Texas Medal of Arts
Honoree, Multimedia
Mark Bordas, Austin – Anheuser Busch, Region Vice President of State Affairs; Silver
Sponsor
Tina Brown, New York City – Tina Brown Live Media, Founder & CEO; At-Large
Member
Rebecca Campbell, Austin – Austin Film Society, Executive Director; Organizational
Partner
Elaine Garza, Austin – Giant Noise, Principal; Texas Medal of Arts Public Relations
Dr. Gary Gibbs, Austin – Texas Commission on the Arts, Executive Director
Dean Gladden, Houston – Alley Theatre, Managing Director
Chris Harrison, Dallas – The Bachelor host, previous Texas Medal of Arts Host, At-Large Member
Craig Hella Johnson, Austin – Conspirare, Founder & Artistic Director; At-Large
Member
Theresa Jenkins, Austin – GRAMMYs, Executive Director; Organizational Partner
Lois Kim, Austin – Texas Book Festival, Executive Director; Organizational Partner
Katy Flato, San Antonio – Lake Flato Architects, Texas Medal of Arts Honoree,
Architecture, At-Large Member
Linda LaMantia, Laredo – Texas Cultural Trust Board Member
Terry Lickona, Austin – Austin City Limits, Executive Producer; Texas Medal of Arts
Honoree, Multi-media
Robert Lynch, Washington, D.C. – American for the Arts, President; Organizational
Partner
Christine Messina, Austin – The Messina Group, At-Large Member
Lance Avery Morgan, Austin – The Society Diaries, Editor-in-Chief; At-Large Member
Heather Page, Austin – Texas Film Commission, Director
Aaronetta Pierce, San Antonio – 2005 & 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Co-chair
Don Pitts, Austin – City of Austin Music & Entertainment Division, Program Manager
Dan Rather, Wharton – Texas Medal of Arts Honoree, Television
Ginger Reeder, Dallas – Neiman Marcus, Vice President of Public Relations; Texas
Medal of Arts Honoree; Corporate Arts Patron
Autumn Rich, Austin – Autumn Rich & Co., President; Event Producer
Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, Austin – University of Texas at Austin School of Journalism,
Associate Professor; Organizational Partner
Judy Robison, El Paso – Texas Cultural Trust Board Chair
Charlotte St. Martin, Dallas – League of America Theatres & Producers, President;
Organizational Partner
Dian Stai, Fredericksburg – Texas Women for the Arts Chair
S. Shawn Stephens, Houston – Texas Commission on the Arts, Commissioner
Kathleen Brady Stimpert, Austin –University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture,
Chief Communications Officer
James Surls, Terrell – Texas Medal of Arts Honoree, Visual Arts
Brian Sweany, Austin – Texas Monthly, Editor-in-Chief; Texas Cultural Trust, Board
Member; Texas Medal of Arts Honoree; Corporate Arts Patron; Silver Sponsor
Nelda Trevino, Austin – Texas Lotto, Director; Silver Sponsor
Leslie Ward, Austin – AT&T, Vice President of External Affairs; Texas Cultural Trust
Board Member; Gold Sponsor
Nancy Wozny, Houston – Arts + Culture Texas Magazine, Editor-in-Chief At-Large
Member

For the first time ever, the Texas Medal of Arts Awards will take place at the Texas Performing Arts Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Concert Hall is the flagship theatre of Texas Performing Arts, as well as the largest theatre in Austin, with seating for 2,900.

As the signature event of the Texas Cultural Trust, the Texas Medal of Arts Awards spotlight the power of the arts to the state’s economy, to stimulate children’s education, and to preserve the unique and proud Texas culture. The Awards have celebrated various influential and talented honorees including Jamie Foxx, Eva Longoria, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, Dan Rather, Neiman Marcus, Margaret McDermott, Barbara Smith Conrad, Tommy Lee Jones, Bob Schieffer, Debbie Allen, Robert Rodriguez, Walter Cronkite, Lake Flato Architects, the Nasher Foundation, Sandra Cisneros, Robert Rauschenberg, Clint Black, Anheuser Busch Companies, Lyle Lovett, Texas Monthly, Robert Edsel, Neiman Marcus, and Exxon Mobil, among others.

A limited amount of sponsorships are still available. For more information on the Texas Medal of Arts Awards, please visit www.texasmedalofarts.txculturaltrust.org. For more information on the Texas Cultural Trust, please visit www.txculturaltrust.org or call 512.478.5289.