Texas Medal of Arts

Austin's own Hollywood star shines as recipient of Texas Medal of Arts

Three of the Texas' most prolific artists are set to receive one of the state's highest honors. On November 27, the Texas Cultural Trust announced the addition of three new names to its 2019 Texas Medal of Arts Awards honorees including Matthew McConaughey, Mark Seliger, and Trenton Doyle Hancock.

For Austinites, McConaughey needs no introduction. The star of Dallas Buyers Club and Dazed and Confused (not to mention those unforgettable Lincoln commercials), the Oscar winner will be honored with the Texas Medal of Arts in film for his decades-long impact on cinema.

The Ulvade-born actor has called Austin home since his time as a student at the University of Texas, and has become an indelible part of the city's cultural fabric through his nonprofit, Just Keep Livin Foundation, and his annual two-day fundraiser, Mack, Jack & McConaughey.

Amarillo-born and Houston-raised, Mark Seliger began his photography career at Rolling Stone, before moving on to Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, and Elle. Seliger's incredible portraits, some of which have become as iconic as the subjects themselves, have catapulted Seliger into one of Texas' most important living artists. Today, his work is included in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Seliger credits his time at Houston's High School for Performing & Visual Arts for his success as a photographer. “Access to arts education from an early age clearly shaped my life’s path, so I have a personal connection to the work the Texas Cultural Trust is doing,” he said in a release announcing the news. The photographer will take home the Texas Medal of Arts in multimedia.

Though born in Oklahoma City, Trenton Doyle Hancock, as the saying goes, got to Texas as fast as he could. The Paris, Texas-raised artist and illustrator attended Texas A&M University before moving to Houston where he still lives and works.

Hancock's illustrations, influenced in part by his own experiences, comic books, and pop culture, often wrestle with good, evil, and the nuanced space in between. His artwork has been acquired by the permanent collections of both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, as well as the Dallas Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. He will also add the 2019 Texas Medal of Arts in visual arts to his accolades.

“Texas Medal of Arts was established to honor artists who have helped shape the arts in Texas, and each of these honorees has unquestionably inspired creativity well beyond our state,” said Texas Cultural Trust executive director Heidi Marquez Smith in a release. “We are proud to partner with Matthew, Mark, and Trenton on our tenth biennial event and to recognize their combined efforts in solidifying the future of the arts in Texas.”

McConaughey, Seliger, and Hancock join five previously announced honorees for the 2019 Texas Medal of Arts Awards: fashion designer Brandon Maxwell, author and screenwriter Stephen Harrigan, architects Craig Dykers and Elaine Molinar, and the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts.

Since launching the biennial event in 2001, the trust has bestowed 108 Texans with the honor. This year's crop of winners will be awarded during a special two-day affair on February 26-27, 2019 at the Long Center.

Mark Seliger.

Photo by John Kelsey

Mark Seliger.

awards

Outside the Lines

Buda artist releases intuitive drawing book with fun prompts

Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Artist Ronald Gross creates an intuitive drawing with crayon, which he considers a "joyful" medium.

Buda-based artist and writer Ronald Gross released a book in November called Unlock Your Creativity: A Guide to Intuitive Drawing, which will walk aspiring expressers through drawing without worry. On December 6, he'll be on hand to help in an intuitive drawing demo at Buda Public Library's Holiday Open House.

The book is a hands-on guide that teaches readers how to lean into their own desires and intuitions when drawing, whether they feel like an artist or not. In this way, intuitive drawing should feel relaxing, meditative, and ultimately, beneficial for mental health. If you find coloring books relaxing and meditative, intuitive drawing may have the same effect on you.

"Intuitive drawing is the practice of creating art without a specific plan or outcome in mind," says Gross. "It’s about letting your hand move freely, guided by emotion, curiosity, or subconscious impulses; not about making something perfect."

An intuitive drawing by author and artist Ronald Gross. Intuitive drawing is simple, joyful, and according to Gross can calm the mind much like meditation. Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

This book presents exercises to access a mindful state: freeform doodling, blind contouring drawing, drawing from the imagination, and drawing from emotions. For artists feeling stuck, Gross also includes plenty of exercises for overcoming creative blocks and even discusses ways intuitive drawing can be applied to other creative projects and areas of life.

In the December workshop, Gross will give a quick demonstration on how to create an intuitive drawing using nothing but lines, shapes, and simple marks. Then participants can try it out with a variety of crayons, because crayons are "tactile" and can quickly transport people into a "playful, unselfconscious space," according to Gross.

"The workshop is all about creating a supportive, judgment-free space to explore intuitive drawing," he says. "Attendees will leave with tools to keep practicing on their own and, hopefully, a renewed sense of creativity and playfulness."

An intuitive drawing from author and artist Ronald Gross. In college Gross was taught how to take a doodle and elevate it into fine art.Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Gross's own journey into intuitive drawing started at a young age, when he would doodle and sketch throughout the school day. Years later at the Academy of Art University, a professor encouraged him to lean into this more intuitive and abstract style of art. Since then, Gross has been exploring intuitive drawing's ability to access a meditative state, as well as tap into the subconscious mind.

"When you draw intuitively, you’re fully present in the moment," Gross says. "Your mind quiets, and you become attuned to the flow of your thoughts, feelings, and physical movements. It’s akin to meditation, only instead of sitting still, you’re actively channeling your inner experience onto the page."

An intuitive drawing by author and artist Ronald Gross. Gross's intuitive drawings each evoke a different feeling through his simple use of color and linework. Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Gross adds that over time, doing some of the exercises included in the book may even help boost confidence, since intuitive drawing can help people learn to trust their instincts.

"Intuitive drawing can unlock creativity, reduce stress, and help people reconnect with their inner selves," he adds. "It offers a space to process emotions, spark ideas, and break free from perfectionism or overthinking."

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