And the Winners Are

An array of Texas artists to be honored at prestigious Austin gala

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Dancing Beyond Borders - Fort Worth

Dallas Black Dance Theatre is among the Texas Medal of Arts winners.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Black Dance Theatre

The 2017 honorees for the biennial Texas Medal of Arts Awards have been announced, and it's a pretty starry list. Recognizing "amazing Texans who have made powerful contributions to the arts here at home and around the world," the awards are given by the Texas Cultural Trust and will be held in Austin February 21-22.

This year's winners are a diverse bunch of actors, musicians, dancers, artists, writers, architects, reporters, and philanthropists. They will all be celebrated at the state's most prestigious arts gala, held for the first time at Texas Performing Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. The slated events include a Stars of Texas brunch at the governor’s mansion, an awards show with special musical performances, and a gala dinner.

John Paul DeJoria and Eloise DeJoria win this year's corporate patron award, acknowledging their philanthropy and support of the arts. John Paul is co-founder of Paul Mitchell haircare products and styling tools, as well as the Patrón Spirits Company.

Other recognizable names include musicians Kris Kristofferson and Kenny Rogers; Rhodes Scholar writer John Phillip Santos; and musical theater actress Renée Elise Goldsberry, who won a 2016 Tony Award for her role in Hamilton.

"People from all over Texas and from all artistic disciplines are honored and celebrated as we raise awareness about how vital the arts are to our state’s economy and our children’s education," says Texas Cultural Trust executive director Jennifer Ransom Rice in a release. "We hope for continuing and expanding support for the arts for future generations to appreciate, embrace, and enjoy."

The complete list is as follows:

Corporate Patron: John Paul & Eloise DeJoria, Paul Mitchell/Patrón Tequila, Austin
Multimedia: Kris Kristofferson, Brownsville
Individual Arts Patron: Lynn Wyatt, Houston
Dance: Lauren Anderson, Houston
Music: Yolanda Adams, Houston
Arts Education: Dallas Black Dance Theatre,Dallas
Theater: Renée Elise Goldsberry, Houston
Foundation Patron: The Tobin Endowment, San Antonio
Visual Art: Leo Villareal, El Paso
Architecture: Frank Welch, Dallas
Literary: John Phillip Santos, San Antonio
Journalism: Scott Pelley, San Antonio
Lifetime Achievement: Kenny Rogers, Houston

To date, the Texas Medal of Arts Awards has presented 99 medals to 105 Texas legends and luminaries who have achieved greatness through their creative talents, as well as those whose generosity has opened doors to artistic opportunity for Texans of all ages. Past honorees have included Jamie Foxx, Eva Longoria, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, Dan Rather, Neiman Marcus, Margaret McDermott, Tommy Lee Jones, Debbie Allen, Walter Cronkite, Lake Flato Architects, the Nasher Foundation, Sandra Cisneros, Clint Black, and Lyle Lovett, among others.

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Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

The Elisabet Ney Museum will close at the end of 2024 and reopen in mid-2026.

Every building needs some maintenance here or there, and the historic Elisabet Ney Museum needs some extra-special care. Formerly the art studio and residence of its namesake, it's been standing since 1892. It'll spend 2025 in relative solitude, as it undergoes renovation for a year and a half with no visitors allowed.

The museum will close to the public December 30, 2024, and open again in the summer of 2026 if all goes according to plan, a news release from the City of Austin shares. It'll be a quiet period compared to the 21,000 people visiting from around the world each year.

According to a museum overview on the city's website, Elisabet Ney, a European portrait sculptor, bought the property and called her new studio Formosa. She worked on sculptures depicting important Texans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and collected works of European contemporaries.

The building at 304 East 44th St. includes 3,700 square feet of museum space, which was converted by Ney's friends after her death in 1907. It retains its unique look that juxtaposes a Neo-Classical main studio from 1892 with a later addition from 1902 including a tower for her husband, Edmund, to write in. It is also on 2.5 acres of land, which has largely been restored to its natural state with native species.

A press release lists these tasks (verbatim) within the scope of the new work, referred to as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP):

Restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows
Upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
Replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems
Repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes.

There will also be work to do outside of the building. Workers will replace the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek, stabilize a 20,000-square-foot portion of the bank, and make the grounds more accessible by adding new pathways.

Funding comes from several sources, according to a release: "the 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum."

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Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration