The Texas Cultural Trust, a non profit organization founded in 1995 that raises money to promote Texas arts and arts education, named its 2011 honorees today at a luncheon at the Winspear Opera House. The Texas Medal of Arts Awards highlighted some high-profile and exceedingly accomplished Texas from across the state and throughout many genres of creative activitity, including literary, education, visual arts, theater, television, film, and corporarte and individual sponsorship. The honorees are:

• Lifetime Achievement –Barbara Smith Conrad: Mezzo-soprano and civil rights icon
• Literary – Robert M. Edsel: Author and founder/president of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art
• Art Education – Tom Staley: Educator, author, and Director of the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX);
• Visual Arts – James Drake: Artist who has shown at the Venice and Whitney Biennials
• Theatre – Houston’s Alley Theatre
• Corporate – H-E-B
• Television – Bob Schieffer: CBS News Anchor  
• Multi-Media – Ray Benson: Front man of the Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel;
• Individual Patrons – Ernest and Sarah Butler
• Film–Actress – Marcia Gay Harden: Pollock, Millers Crossing, The First Wives Club, and Mona Lisa Smile
• Film–Actor – Bill Paxton: Tombstone, True Lies, Apollo 13, Twister, Titanic
• Music – ZZ Top

A full release with biographical information follows. Also, be sure to look out for the profile of author Robert M. Edsel in the February issue of D Magazine.

WHO:               The Texas Cultural Trust presents

WHAT:             2011 Texas Medal of Arts Awards: Gala Dinner, Awards Show, and Starlight After Party

WHEN:             Tuesday, March 1; 5:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

WHERE:           The Long Center for the Performing Arts

                        701 West Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas 78704

TIX:                  $40: Awards Show, $75 Awards Show + Starlight, $750 Gala through Starlight

WEB:                www.txculturaltrust.org/tmaa and on Facebook and Twitter @txculturaltrust

MEDIA:             David Wyatt at David@WyattBrand.com and 512/904.9928

                        Lauren Tuttle at Lauren@WyattBrand.com and 512/904.9928

The Texas Cultural Trust Announces Honorees for the

2011 Texas Medal of Arts Awards

Recognizing the Best Talent of Texas in Film, Television, Literature, Journalism

Multi-Media, Corporate, Patron, Music, Theater, Visual Arts at Gala and Awards Show + Starlight

Platinum Sponsor: AT&T; Silver Sponsors: Cadillac and Anheuser Busch

AUSTIN, Texas—At a special event at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Winspear Opera House in Dallas today, the Texas Cultural Trust announced its 2011 honorees and unveiled details of the March 1 Texas Medal of Arts Awards Show, Gala Dinner and Starlight After Party at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas. The honor, inspired by the National Medal of Arts, has been bestowed upon 59 Texas leaders and luminaries in the arts and entertainment industry for creative excellence and exemplary talents since its inception in 2001. This year, a dozen honorees from Alley Theatre to ZZ Top join the list.

The Texas Medal of Arts Awards is a full evening of events kicking off with the Gala Dinner where guests will sit alongside Texas arts, business, legislative, and entertainment notables. The dinner is then followed by the Awards Show emceed by 60 Minutes’ Scott Pelley to spotlight Texas’ best talents in film, television, literature, multi-media, corporate, patron, music, theater, visual arts and many more.

Medals will be presented by Governor Rick Perry and the Awards show will include live performances ranging from high art to high octane starting at 8 p.m. The night comes to a memorable end with the Starlight After Party at 10:00 p.m. featuring live music by Dale Watson & His Lone Stars and Will Taylor & Strings Attached performing House of Wills: Songs of Willie Nelson in the Style of Bob Wills.

And the 2011 Texas Medal of Arts Awards honorees are…

• Lifetime Achievement – Barbara Smith Conrad: Mezzo-soprano and civil rights icon whose voice has filled renowned opera houses throughout the world (Pittsburgh, TX);
• Literary – Robert M. Edsel: Author and founder/president of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art which received the 2007 National Humanities Medal (Dallas, TX);
• Art Education – Tom Staley: Educator, author, and Director of the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX);
• Visual Arts – James Drake: An internationally acclaimed artist honored with inclusion in the Venice  Biennale and the Whitney Biennial and whose work in the permanent collections of over 30 museums around the world  (Lubbock, TX);
• Theatre – Alley Theatre: Internationally recognized company and recipient of the Tony Award (Houston, TX);
• Corporate – H-E-B: Grocer with 329 stores and 76,000 employees in 155 communities throughout Texas and Mexico; boasting a long history of supporting the arts throughout the state (Kerrville, TX);
• Television – Bob Schieffer: CBS News Anchor and broadcasting hall of famer (Ft. Worth, TX);
• Multi-Media – Ray Benson: Nine-time Grammy™-winning front man of the Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel and co-writer of the play A Ride With Bob based on the life and music of Bob Wills (Austin, TX);
• Individual Patrons – Ernest and Sarah Butler: Major donors to Austin Symphony Orchestra, the Blanton Museum of Art, the Long Center, Ballet Austin, University of Texas School of Music, and the Austin Lyric Opera (Austin, TX);
• Film–Actress – Marcia Gay Harden: Oscar ®-winning actress with roles in such films as Pollock, Millers Crossing, The First Wives Club, and Mona Lisa Smile (UT Austin Graduate, Austin, TX);
• Film–Actor – Bill Paxton: Four-time Golden Globe® nominee and star of Tombstone, True Lies, Apollo 13, Twister, Titanic, and hit HBO series Big Love (Ft. Worth, TX);
• Music – ZZ Top: Legendary band that has sold over 50 million albums worldwide with eight Top 40 hits including “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man;” Ranked in the top 50 of VH1′s “Greatest Artists of Hard Rock” (Houston, TX).

Previous honorees include Willie Nelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Laura W. Bush, Van Cliburn, Robert Rodriguez, Walter Cronkite, Nancy B. Hamon, Sandra Cisneros, Robert Raushcenberg, Clint Black, Nasher Foundation, Lyle Lovett, Austin City Limits, Neiman Marcus and Exxon Mobil. 

The sixth biennial event will honor a dozen legends and rising stars at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas, supporting the Texas Cultural Trusts’ goal of highlighting the importance of the arts in education and in sustaining Texas’ vibrant economy.

SCHEDULE:      5:30 p.m.: Gala Dinner

                        8 p.m.: Texas Medal of Arts Award Show

                        10 p.m.: Starlight After Party

TIX:                  $750 Individual Ticket: Gala Dinner, Awards Show, Starlight After Party

                        $75 Individual Ticket: Awards Show, Starlight After Party

$40: Single Awards Show Ticket

ABOUT THE TEXAS MEDAL OF ARTS AWARDS

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 Texas Medal of Arts Awards highlights the importance of the arts in our children’s education, to the State’s economy, and to our proud and special Texas culture.

ABOUT THE TEXAS CULTURAL TRUST

Established in 1995, the Texas Cultural Trust is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that raises private dollars statewide to elevate the importance of art education and heighten arts awareness. The Texas Cultural Trust supports the programs of the Texas Commission on the Arts and other qualifying state agencies. In addition to the biennial Texas Medal of Arts Awards, some of the Trust’s other programs include the Young Masters Scholarship Program, the Art of Economic Development, Art and Digital Media curriculum for public school students, Adventures in the ARTS children’s book, Texas Women for the Arts, Founders for the Arts, and young professionals group: strataTX. www.txculturaltrust.org

ABOUT THE CO-CHAIRS

Adair Margo served as chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities from 2000- 2008, focusing on international cultural diplomacy. Since 1985, Adair has owned Adair Margo Fine Art that has exhibited over 400 individual artists from a dozen countries, and has placed the work of regional artists in the collections of national museums, the Oval Office of the White House, and in U.S. Embassies worldwide.

Alice Carrington Foultz is president of the art consulting firm Carrington Gallery, Ltd and has over twenty years of experience in the visual arts. She currently serves on the San Antonio Public Art Board and the White House Historical Association and has been the curator for San Antonio Spurs Sports and Entertainment since 2001.

Lifetime Achievement – Barbara Smith Conrad

Barbara Smith Conrad is a mezzo-soprano whose distinguished career has touched the lives of audiences around the world. Barbara performed with the Metropolitan Opera for eight years and has performed leading operatic roles with the Vienna State Opera, Teatro Nacional in Venezuela, the Houston Grand Opera, the New York City Opera, the Pittsburgh Opera, and many other international opera houses.

Literary – Robert M. Edsel

Robert M. Edsel is the author of the non-fiction books, Rescuing Da Vinci and The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. He is the co-producer of the documentary film, The Rape of Europa, and Founder and President of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art (www.monumentsmenfoundation.org), a not-for-profit entity. Twitter: @robertedsel

Education – Tom Staley

Thomas F. Staley is the Director of the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin, where he is also Professor of English and holds The Harry Huntt Ransom Chair in Liberal Arts. He has written and spoken widely in the United States and Europe on literary subjects, libraries, the state of the humanities in contemporary culture, and the building of modern library collections.

Visual – James Drake

James Drake is an international artist who has had over eighty one-person shows, including exhibitions at Site Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Houston, TX; the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC; and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla, CA. He has been invited to participate in over one hundred group exhibitions including the 52^nd International Art Exhibition, Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy, The Whitney Biennial 2000, New York, N, and The National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. jamesdrake.net

Theatre – Alley Theatre

Since 1947, the Alley Theater has earned a national and international reputation for artistic achievement, including a Tony Award®, and Alley artists have garnered praise from audiences across the country. The Alley Theatre is one of the few American Theatre companies that support a company of actors, designers, artisans and craftspeople throughout the year.

Twitter: @AlleyTheatre

Corporate – H-E-B

H-E-B began over 100 years ago as a family-owned store in Kerrville, Texas. From the beginning, H-E-B has always believed in the value of hard work and the importance of taking care of others. Their commitment and involvement in the community has been an important part in the way they do business. H-E-B has a long history of supporting the arts throughout the state, which have served to enhance the lives of many Texans and develop future audiences, artists, and arts patrons to secure Texas’ leadership in the arts. Twitter: @HEB

Television – Bob Schieffer

Schieffer began his career at CBS in 1969 as a journalist and quickly became the anchor of “CBS Evening News” for the next 23 years. By 1982 he was promoted to Chief Washington Correspondent. Schieffer’s honors include seven EmmyAwards®, two Sigma Delta Chi awards, National Press Foundation’s Broadcaster of the Year in 2002, and the Texas Christian University’s Schieffer School of Journalism was named in his honor. Twitter: @BobSchieffer

Multi-Media – Ray Benson

Ray Benson is the front man of the legendary Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, having released more than 20 albums and earning nine Grammys™. Benson is also an accomplished producer whose credits include albums by Nick Lowe, Dale Watson and Suzy Bogguss. Benson is a founding member of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, which raises money to help aging R&B artists, and a member of the board of directors of the SIMS Foundation, providing low-cost mental health services to Austin musicians and their families. asleepatthewheel.com

Individual Patrons – Ernest and Sarah Butler

The Butlers are members of the University of Texas’ Chancellor’s Council, President’s Associates and the Texas Exes. In spring of 2008, the University of Texas’ School of Music was renamed in honor of the Butlers following 25 years of philanthropic support to the school. In addition to supporting the School of Music, the Butlers have been major donors to local arts organizations, including the Austin Symphony Orchestra, the Austin Museum of Art, the Blanton Museum of Art, the Long Center for the Performing Arts, Ballet Austin and the Austin Lyric Opera.

Film – Marcia Gay Harden

From the glamorous Ava Gardner in Sinatra, to the artist Lee Krasner in Pollock (for which she won Best Supporting Actress Oscar®), to the down and out Celeste in Mystic River (another Academy Award nomination), Marcia has created a signature style based in character transformation.  Her versatility and wide-range have been praised in such films as Millers Crossing, The First Wives Club, Meet Joe Black, Mona Lisa Smile, The Hoax, and Used People.

Film – Bill Paxton

Paxton is currently in production on the fifth and final season of HBO’s critically acclaimed series Big Love (2009 AFI and Golden Globe® nominee). On the big screen, Paxton will next be seen in Stephen Soderbergh’s action thriller Haywire, opposite Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas. He is also currently executive producing, along with Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, a mini-series for HBO, which will commemorate the 50^th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Twitter: @BillPaxton

Music – ZZ Top

ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as “That Little Ol’ Band from Texas”. ZZ Top has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, including 25 million albums in the US alone. The band scored 8 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, six number one Mainstream Rock hits^, and three MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Twitter: @ZZTopNews

Emcee – Scott Pelley

Scott Pelley has been a 60 Minutes correspondent since 2004. Previously he served as a correspondent for 60 Minutes II and as Chief White House Correspondent for the CBS Evening News. Mr. Pelley is honored to have received two George Foster Peabody awards, 14 national EmmyAwards®, five Edward R. Murrow awards, a George Polk Award and a Loeb award, as well as honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Writers Guild of America.

Twitter: @60Minutes