Texas Women for the Arts Names Leslie Ward as Recipient Of 2023 Champion Of The Arts Award

AUSTIN, TX (May 11, 2023) – The Texas Cultural Trust (TXCT) announced today the recipient of the 2023 Texas Women for the Arts (TWA) Donna Axum Whitworth Champion of the Arts Award: Leslie Ward of Austin. 

Presented at the Champion of the Arts Award dinner, the culminating event of the TWA annual meeting, this year’s honor was awarded to Ward on May 9 at the Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi, recognizing her sincere commitment and continuous support of the Trust over the years. The intimate evening featured a stunning performance by the Alcortas Ballet Folklorico and the Corpus Christi Youth Orchestra Spotlight.

Ward, recognized for her leadership, dedication to the Trust and impact on countless lives throughout the state, accepted the award, saying, “I’m honored to receive such a prestigious award. Texas has a rich history of producing world-renowned artists. Working with my fellow Texans to continue that tradition has been the honor of a lifetime.” 

Ward currently serves as the president of AT&T Texas, where she leads all legislative, regulatory, governmental and external affairs activities in the state. Alongside her professional accomplishments, Ward has demonstrated her commitment to the Texas Cultural Trust. As chair of the 2018 Texas Medal of Arts Awards and two-term chair of the Trust’s board, she displayed an epic show of support beyond the call of duty. Despite the challenges the arts faced due to the pandemic, Ward’s unwavering support, generous financial commitments over the years and leadership has made an impact on lives all over the great state of Texas. Her personal and professional experiences in building networks throughout the state have proved to be an incredible asset to the Trust, and her years of experience working with the Texas Legislature provide invaluable knowledge that helps actualize the Trust’s and TWA’s mission. 

Texas Women for the Arts is a statewide giving circle and membership program with more than 200 members from across Texas. Through its collective generosity, TWA invests in the arts and arts programming with the goal of increasing access to the arts for all Texas children. Since its inception in 2005, this philanthropic force has awarded over $4 million to organizations across the state, impacting more than 1 million kids in Texas. “Presenting Leslie Ward with the prestigious Donna Axum Whitworth Champion of the Arts Award is an honor,” said Heidi Marquez Smith, TXCT Chief Executive Officer. “Leslie’s passion, patronage and generosity for the arts, arts education and our creative sector has been incredibly meaningful for the Trust but also for our state.”

Established in 2010, the Champion of the Arts Award recognizes TWA members who have made significant contributions to the arts in their communities and across the state and whose work has embodied the mission and vision of the organization: To awaken and nurture the artist in every Texas child. Nominations are voted on by previous award recipients and finalized by the TWA executive  committee. Past Award recipients include Donna Axum Whitworth (Ft. Worth), Patsy Donosky (Dallas), Debbie Montford (San Antonio), Ginger Blanton (Houston), Joci Straus (San Antonio), Sandra Gilliland  (Amarillo), Dian Graves Stai (Fredericksburg), Gene Jones (Dallas), the late Jeanne Wyatt (San Antonio), Nancy Dedman (Dallas), Judy Robison (El Paso), and Leslie Blanton (Houston). 

For more information on the Texas Cultural Trust or Texas Women for the Arts, visit TXCulturalTrust.org.

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About the Texas Cultural Trust
The Texas Cultural Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and increasing access and awareness for the arts across the state. Programs of the organization include the Texas Medal of Arts Awards, Arts Access, Art Can, Texas Young Masters, Texas Women for the Arts, and Partners in the Arts. Efforts are amplified by supporters who are instrumental in the success of leading a cohesive voice for the arts in education, advocacy and economic impact in Texas, spotlighting the artistic excellence of the state. For more information, visit txculturaltrust.org. 

About Leslie Ward
Leslie Ward is the president of AT&T Texas, where she leads all legislative, regulatory, governmental and external affairs activities in the state of Texas. Alongside her professional accomplishments, Leslie has shown the sincerest commitment to the Texas Cultural Trust. She was the chair of the 2018 Texas Medal of Arts Awards and a two-term chair of the Trust’s board; in both roles, she displayed an epic show of support beyond the call of duty. Despite the challenges the arts faced due to the pandemic, Leslie provided her unwavering support and generous financial commitments over the years, and her leadership has made an impact on lives all across our great state of Texas. Leslie’s personal and professional experiences in building networks throughout the state have proved to be an incredible asset to the Trust, and her years of experience working with the Texas Legislature provide invaluable knowledge that helps actualize the Trust’s and TWA’s mission. She holds a B.A. in political science from Texas Tech University and St. Edward’s University, and she lives in Austin with her husband and three children. Leslie is a champion of the arts, a champion of Texas and a champion in the hearts of all who know her.