Lone Stars
Texas stars shine bright as 2019 Medal of Arts honorees
Award season may have come to Hollywood, but in Texas, the stars will shine just as bright in February as the biennial Texas Medal of Arts Awards honor the artistic achievements of a stellar lineup of Texans.
While some of the honorees were revealed back in November, including Academy Awarding winning actor Matthew McConaughey, iconic photographer Mark Seliger, and artist Trenton Doyle Hancock, Texas Cultural Trust, which runs the TMAA, has released the complete list of Medal recipients.
At a January 10 event at the Houston Ballet, Heidi Marquez Smith, TMAA executive director, along with 2017 recipients Lynn Wyatt (honoree for individual arts patron) and the Houston Ballet’s Lauren Anderson (honoree for dance) took the stage to help present the full roster of Texas artists.
“We are proud to present the Texas Medal of Arts Award to these incredibly talented and esteemed honorees. Each of these artists have inspired and captivated their communities, our state, and beyond — contributing to the cultural fabric of our world,” said Marquez Smith in a statement given with the announcement.
Here are the 2019 Texas Medal of Arts Awards honorees:
Music: Boz Scaggs, Plano
Film: Matthew McConaughey, Austin
Design: Brandon Maxwell, Longview
Literary Arts: Stephen Harrigan, Austin
Architecture: Elaine Molinar, El Paso, and Craig Dykers, San Antonio
Arts Education: Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts, Laredo
Multimedia: Mark Seliger, Houston
Visual Arts: Trenton Doyle Hancock, Houston
Music Ensemble: Conspirare, Austin
Theatre: Jennifer Holliday, Houston
While McConaughey certainly headlines this group of acclaimed Texas artists, having conquered the film world with an easy “Alright, alright, alright,” the other honorees have also represented Texas artistic achievement in a multitude of fields.
Plano guitarist Boz Scaggs has forged a long and storied career with the Steve Miller Band and as a solo artist. Through the years, he has mined a personalized mix of rock, blues, and R&B influences with a signature style that makes him a Texas music legend.
Best selling novelist, journalist, and screenwriter Stephen Harrigan has written for Texas Monthly since the magazine’s founding and is a founding member of the Texas Book Festival. Conspirare, Austin's Grammy Award-winning choral ensemble, will also be among the honorees.
Other stars include Elaine Molinar and Craig Dykers established the international architecture, landscape and design studio Snøhetta, and have received numerous international architectural awards. Tony and Grammy Award-winning Jennifer Holliday has been a Broadway star since originating the role of Effie in Dreamgirls.
The 10th biennial Texas Medal of Arts Awards takes place on February 26-27 at the Long Center in Austin, culminating with a red carpet reception, gala dinner, and awards show with expected performance from Holliday, Scaggs, and Conspirare.
Besides a celebration of Texas artists, the TMAA is the signature fundraising event of the Texas Cultural Trust, and spotlights “the power of the arts to improve children’s education, preserve the unique and proud culture of Texas, and stimulate the state’s economy.”