Message from the Chair
Dear Friends of the Arts,

It is my honor and privilege to serve for the next two years as the Chair of the Texas Cultural Trust. Those who have preceded me have laid a wonderful foundation for the fulfillment of our mission, the expansion and enhancement of the arts and art education in the state of Texas.

Our board of directors is comprised of men and women from throughout the state who bring to us a wide variety of personal and professional expertise. We are pleased to announce the recent election of these new board members: Ray Benson, Asleep at the Wheel-Austin, Dr. Blandina Cardenas, President of the University of Texas PANAM-Edinburg, David Durham, Arts Patron-Abilene, Linda Gibbons, Arts Patron-Dallas, Carole Krist, Arts Patron/Artist-Kemah, Dr. Raymund Paredes, Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating-Austin, Mrs. John V. Roach III, Art Patron-Ft. Worth, Kathleen Wu, Attorney-Dallas. more

All Americans: Images of Heritage and Citizenship
The U.S. Department of State and the Texas Commission for the Arts (TCA) are initiating an unprecedented program that is incorporating arts education into U.S. international outreach efforts. Texas student artists in 1st through 12th grades were asked to express themselves through original pieces of art depicting America, our ideals and our patriotism. Twenty-three creative pieces were chosen for a traveling exhibition, and will now be reproduced and sent to all U.S. embassies and consulates around the world. (Click here to view all of the artwork.) The State Department is also adding more than 20 new U.S. ambassadors in the form of arts education teachers, who will teach abroad to share their skills and exchange cultures through arts education. This initiative, entitled All Americans: Images of Heritage and Citizenship, highlights the impact arts education can have on teaching students a variety of subjects, including the social sciences, while serving as a unique model to help the rest of the world better understand America and its culture.

To commemorate this inaugural exhibit, there will be a reception held at the U.S. Department of State on October 11, 2005, hosted by Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, Dina Powell. Each of the student artists and teachers will be invited to fly in from Texas to attend the event. To donate to this exciting project, follow this link.

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Adventures in the A.R.T.S.
The Texas Cultural Trust has partnered with the Texas PTA and Brighter Industries to create a novel and interactive CD for elementary school children filled with imagination, education, and excitement. This new book promotes teaching through fun and interaction. Adventures in the A.R.T.S. tells the story of three children, Katie, Josh, and Tina, who are invited to attend a magical art school existing in another dimension. Soon after their arrival, our characters learn of the mysterious Grey Glob that is threatening the future of the school. Using their creative problem-solving skills and artistic abilities, our heroes take action to defeat the Grey Glob!

The book will have illustrations, such as the one shown above, along with arts activities. More activities will be found on the accompanying interactive CD-ROM. The website will further the activities and lessons in the book with interactive games and an artist database for art history lessons. The book and accompanying materials target students in 2nd through 5th grades.
Informational materials will be distributed at elementary schools across the state, and books can also be ordered online at http://www.adventuresinthearts.com. When you list the elementary school of your choice on the order form, the school will receive 50% of the net proceeds from book & CD sales. Funds received by the Cultural Trust will go back into supporting the arts in Texas. Give to schools and give to the arts.

Participating sponsors in this exciting arts education initiative are the Texas PTA, the Texas Cultural Trust, Brighter Industries, and the SBC Foundation.

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Institutional Partner Jubilee Theatre Celebrates its 25th Anniversary
The 2005-2006 Season of the Jubilee Theatre is marked by celebration and remembrance. Last May, the Jubilee community suffered the tremendous and unexpected loss of its Co-Founder and Artistic Director Rudy Eastman. This 25th Anniversary season was planned by Mr. Eastman and reflects the Theatre’s mission to create and produce works that reflect the African American experience. Eastman stated, “My vision is to entertain, enrich, enlighten and inform our patrons – hopefully, to open minds and hearts to the vastness and wonders of the human experience.”

The 2005-2006 Season presents three plays and three musicals. In keeping with the Theatre’s commitment to produce and present new works, two of the musicals will be original Jubilee debuts. The upcoming productions are The Colored Museum, Auntee Explains X-Mas, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Diaries of a Barefoot Diva: And Other Tales and Stories from the Ghetto, The Imaginary Invalid, and The Odyssey.

The Jubilee Theatre is located in the Sundance Square entertainment district in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. Season tickets range from $50-100. More information is available online at http://www.jubileetheatre.org, and tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at (817) 338-4411.

Check out the latest news on all of our Institutional Partners through their links on our website.

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New Giving Circle: Texas Women for the Arts
The Texas Cultural Trust is proud to announce a new opportunity to support the arts in our state. Texas Women for the Arts is a giving program uniting Texas women in funding initiatives for the arts and arts education throughout the state. On September 8, 2005, the founding members of this new giving circle met and set forth the vision of the organization – Awaken and nurture the artist in every Texas child. Texas Women have the capability of making a tremendous impact on the arts in Texas for our youth and our heritage.

The intent of this giving circle is to create a restricted fund to be used for arts programs administered by the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Texas Cultural Trust, and other qualifying agencies. Each year, the Texas Women for the Arts will have the opportunity to choose which programs their dollars will support. To join the circle, a commitment of $1000 per year for a period of three years or a one-time gift of $3000 is requested.

Join us in making a difference for the children of Texas. For more information about the Texas Women for the Arts, please click here.

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Texas Commission on the Arts working to aid Hurricane Katrina Survivors
The TCA is working on several regional and national efforts to assist survivors through support fees, recovery counseling, and relocation assistance. A meeting was held in Boise, Idaho to coordinate support and assistance for the impacted states through the Arts Agencies in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. To learn more about the effort, request assistance, or help, visit http://www.arts.state.tx.us.

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Young Master Update: Angela Hoang
Angela just completed her second year as a TCA Young Master in the Visual Arts. This summer she attended courses at the Pratt Institute for Fine Arts in Brooklyn to study art foundation, art history, interior design, and portfolio preparation. Angela credits her summer study in developing her craft and helping her in “experimentation and exploration of new concepts.”

She also thanked the Young Master program for the opportunity to visit world class museums while studying in New York. Her teacher at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts comments that her “work has matured into a delicate and sensitive personal investigation of the challenges she faces living between Eastern and Western cultures.” Angela will continue as a senior at the HSPVA and intends to continue her artistic studies in college.

If you would like to support the Young Masters program, click here.

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2007 Texas Medal of Arts Awards – Call for Nominations

The public is invited and encouraged to nominate individuals and organizations that demonstrate excellence in, or on behalf of, the cultural arts in Texas in the following categories: Lifetime Achievement, Arts Education, Arts Patron (Individuals and Corporations/Foundations), Literary Arts, Music, Theatre, Media/Multi-Media (including film), and Visual Arts.

The Texas Medal of Arts Awards, the signature event of the Texas Cultural Trust, spotlights and celebrates the creative excellence, exemplary talents, and outstanding contributions by Texans in selected categories, ultimately featuring the best in Texas. The Awards honor citizens who have achieved greatness through their creative talents as well as those whose philanthropic generosity has opened doors to artistic opportunity for Texans of all ages. The Medal of Arts accents and exposes the power of the arts to our children’s education, to our State’s economy, and to our proud and special Texas culture. The Awards celebration honors these great Texans, while at the same time raises substantial dollars to help support programs of the State of Texas and the Texas Commission on the Arts in the areas of arts education and exposure to all aspects of the arts. The Texas Cultural Trust Council will host the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Awards in Austin on April 2nd & 3rd, 2007. To download a Nomination form and to review previous recipients please go to www.txculturaltrust.org/tmaa. The deadline for submitting nomination forms is December 15, 2005.

TMAA Committee Members:
Margaret Mills, San Antonio – Chair

Donna Axum Whitworth, Fort Worth – Texas Cultural Trust Chair
Aaronetta Pierce, San Antonio – Program
Ray Benson, Austin – Program
Linda Gibbons, Dallas – Sponsorship
Carole Krist, Kemah – Sponsorship
Jean Roach, Fort Worth – Community Events
Debbie Montford, San Antonio – Selection
Joci Straus, San Antonio

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2006 Young Masters Scholarships – Call for Nominations

The Texas Commission on the Arts is now accepting applications for the 2006 class of the Young Masters scholarship program. The Young Masters Program will provide exemplary arts students in grades 8-12 with the financial help they need to pursue advanced study in the areas of visual arts, literature, music, theatre, dance, and media arts.

The most talented young artists will receive the title of Young Master and will be granted scholarships of up to $2,500 per year to further studies in their chosen arts disciplines. Students are eligible to receive the scholarship for up to three years, but they must reapply annually. Young Masters scholarships are not available for collegiate study. To obtain an application for the Young Masters, call the TCA at (512) 936-6564 or download online at http://www.arts.state.tx.us/ym/. All applications and support documents must be postmarked by December 15, 2005.

Students will be selected by a citizen panel of experts from across the state based on level of potential, level of commitment, and quality of their proposed plan of action. Notification of awards for this third class of Young Masters will begin in April 2006.

The Young Masters program was created and is funded through the efforts of the Texas Cultural Trust. Young Masters scholarships were made possible by generous contributions from SBC Foundation, Burlington Northern, Applied Materials, Ray C. Fish Foundation, Plum Foundation, Mrs. W. D. Noel, The Honorable David Dewhurst, Mr. George Mitchell, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Raytheon, and Emerson Electric. These donations will help promising young school-aged students in Texas to excel in the arts. To donate to the Young Masters program, please follow this link.

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