Texas Women for the Arts Honors Isha Rogers Santamaria as 2026 Champion of the Arts

AUSTIN, TX [April 29, 2026] – The Texas Cultural Trust (TXCT), a statewide nonprofit committed to bolstering support for the arts and spotlighting artistic excellence across the state, has named El Paso local Isha Rogers Santamaria as the 2026 recipient of the esteemed Texas Women for the Arts (TWA) Donna Axum Whitworth Champion of the Arts Award.

As part of the Texas Cultural Trust, Texas Women for the Arts is a giving circle supporting programs that expand arts education and foster creativity in young Texans, with the mission to awaken and nurture the artist in every Texas child. Since 2005, this network of influential women has awarded 455 grants totaling more than $5 million to arts organizations across the state, positively impacting nearly 4 million children. TXCT’s 2025 State of the Arts Report demonstrates how access to quality arts education is linked to stronger emotional regulation, social skills, academic outcomes, and college attendance.

The annual Donna Axum Whitworth Champion of the Arts Award honors a TWA member whose dedication to the arts has made a meaningful impact both locally and across Texas. Selected from a field of more than 200 TWA members for this award, Isha exemplifies this standard.

A TWA member since 2008, Isha has held various leadership roles within the organization, including serving various roles over several years on the Executive Committee, most recently as Chair from 2024 to 2025, and leading and organizing the 2025 Annual Meeting in El Paso. Beyond her work with TWA, Isha is a dedicated preservationist and philanthropic leader with a strong commitment to advancing the arts and cultural heritage across Texas. She played a pivotal role in restoring the 1903 El Paso & Southwestern Railroad Depot, now St. Rogers Depot, transforming it into a vibrant venue for cultural and community events that honors the city’s history. She currently serves as Chair of the El Paso Community Foundation and supports numerous organizations, including the Tom Lea Institute and The Bryan Museum.

“Isha has been one of TWA’s most committed and engaged leaders during her tenure,” says TXCT CEO Heidi Marquez Smith. “For the past eighteen years, her service to the El Paso community has been a powerful reminder that the arts are essential to preserving our history and culture, and that we all share a responsibility to be stewards of that legacy for generations to come.”

“It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost twenty years since I joined Texas Women for the Arts. To say I am humbled to be named Champion of the Arts is an understatement. I had the pleasure of knowing Donna Axum Whitworth, who was not only the first recipient but also the genesis of the organization,” says Isha Rogers Santamaria. “TWA is more than an organization; it is a belief and a promise that the arts can change children’s lives, open doors, and shape the cultural legacy of our state, and I’m proud to help carry that vision forward.”

Isha joins a distinguished list of previous honorees, including the late 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 Jeanie Wyatt (San Antonio), Nancy Dedman (Dallas), Judy Robison (El Paso), Leslie Blanton (Houston), Leslie Ward (Austin), and Linda LaMantia (Laredo), and Tania Schwartz (El Paso). 

She was recognized at the Champion of the Arts Dinner on April 28th, 2026, in Fort Worth as part of TWA’s Annual Meeting, a two-day event which brings together the program’s arts advocates and community leaders to announce grant recipients, honor the Champion of the Arts, and celebrate the host city’s cultural landscape.

For more information on the Texas Cultural Trust or to sign up to be part of Texas Women for the Arts, visit TXCulturalTrust.org.