Many of you know that I grew up in a beautiful visual art paradise. My stepfather was Chair of several major university art departments as well as Dean. He was also one of the Founding Trustees of the International Print Center New York (IPCNY) and a prolific artist and printmaker. You might say that it was a visually stimulating environment and not a surprise that I chose an Interior Design career.
I recently joined the Texas Women for The Arts which is a program of the Texas Cultural Trust. This is a giving circle of women united in supporting arts and arts education across the state. The mission statement is to awaken and nurture the artist in every Texas child. Since its inception in 2005, they have awarded more than $2.2 million to more than 180 arts organizations across Texas.
The signature event for the Texas Cultural Trust is the Texas Medal of Arts Awards. It highlights the impact of the arts on education, the economy, and Texas’ rich and unique culture. The 10th biennial Texas Medal of Arts Awards will take place in Austin, Texas, February 26-27, 2019.
In addition to the giving circle the organization conducts cultural trips across the world. I joined just in time for the Seattle trip in which I took my mother. The itinerary included a private tour of the Seattle Museum of Art, Tour and Lecture of Betty Merken Studios, Tour of Chihuly Garden and Glass, Lino Tagliapietra Gallery Tour, John Grade Studio Tour, Olympic Sculpture Tour and finally the Microsoft Art Collection Tour. It was three fun filled busy days.
Our second trip this year was San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Ladies from Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Ft Worth, Houston, Laredo and San Antonio attended. For those not familiar with San Miguel it is a classic Spanish colonial city. It is known for its baroque architecture, thriving arts scene and cultural festivals. Here the itinerary included a walking tour of El Jardin, shopping at Fabrica de La Aurora, Studio Tour of Juan Zaragoza (who later gave us painting lessons), Tour of Sanctuario de Atotonilco, more shopping at the Artisan Market and dinner at Casa Hyder and Hacienda de la Buena Fe.
The color of the buildings, friendliness of the locals, taste of the cuisine and of course the adventure of finding the “just right” purchase set this trip as one of my all time favorites. I really enjoyed meeting the ladies from all over Texas. Having been chapter president for the Texas Oklahoma International Interior Design Association, I have spent a fair amount of time traveling the state. PPDS currently has work in Dallas, Ft Worth, Houston and San Antonio.
