The Stars Are Bright: Here’s How The Texas Medal Of Arts Celebrated 25 Years

Event Honors Texans Who Have Made Substantial Contributions To The Arts

By Rob Giardinelli     Photography by Tyler Schmitt of Mill Photography Studio And Ben Porter Photography

THE SCENE: The Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin was the setting that both honored Texans’ contributions to the arts and celebrated a milestone celebrating one of the state’s most beloved nonprofit organizations. Over 1,200 of the state’s most prominent art patrons, community leaders, sociables, and philanthropists turned out for the biennial Texas Medal of Arts Awards. Benefiting the Texas Cultural Trust, the night featured all the pageantry of a silver anniversary with touching tributes and dazzling performances. The result was an epic night of fundraising that had guests talking about this magical night long after the festivities ended.

THE VIBE: The black-tie crowd featured patrons donning a mix of traditional black-tie fare while others took the opportunity to celebrate the arts by donning bright, bold-colored ball gowns and dinner jackets. The result was a gorgeous kaleidoscope that represented the warm, welcoming nature of Texans, Texas, and the patrons on hand for this special night.

The festivities began as honorees and guests took a stroll down the red carpet to commemorate the evening. After which, guests then ascended the stairs for a lively welcome reception at The Long Center Pavilion. Against the backdrop of the Austin skyline on a picture-perfect night, revelers sipped on their favorite spirits while reuniting with old friends and making new ones in the process.

The action then moved inside The Long Center as guests took to their seats for a main program to honor this year’s impressive list of ten honorees. The 2025 honorees included: The Moody Foundation for Arts Patron/Foundation, Terry Allen for Multimedia, Mercedes T. Bass for Arts Patron/Individual, Gary Clark Jr. for Music/Songwriter, Elizabeth Crook for Literary Arts, Sandy Duncan for Musical Theatre, Richard Linklater for Film/Director, Texas Music Educators Association for Arts/Education, Dennis Quaid for Film/Actor, and Donald Moffett for Visual Arts.

Event emcees Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima kept the crowd entertained while keeping the festivities moving at a brisk, fun pace. During the program, each honoree was given a touching tribute to their impact on the arts not just in Texas, but around the world. Throughout the night, various children’s performance troupes, including several from the Texas Cultural Trust’s Texas Young Masters Program, performed numbers that often brought the crowds to their feet and tears of joy streaming down their faces.

The program ended with an epic trio of performances. First, honoree Gary Clark Jr., legendary Texas blues artist Jimmie Vaughan, and rock music royalty Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top performed a set with several of Clark’s biggest hits. Then, honoree Dennis Quaid took to the stage, also alongside Vaughn and Gibbons to perform a set including his new single. The program was capped off with a show-stopping performance by the children’s organizations that performed earlier in the program, which capped off the program.

Once the performance concluded, the crowd headed back to the Long Center Pavilion for a seated dinner. In record time, Autumn Rich of The Panacea Collective transformed the tent that was previously used during the cocktail hour into an elegant, sophisticated space complete with elegant candles against the backdrops of both the Austin skyline as well as music by Texas-based artists on a round stage in the middle of the room that allowed everyone to take in the elegant ambiance of the dinner.

During the delectable, multi-course meal, guests chatted with friends old and new at their tables, regaling their favorite moments of the evening. The dinner capped off a dazzling two days of fundraising that also included a VIP reception the previous night for the honorees and a lunch at the governor’s mansion the afternoon before the awards ceremony.

THE NON-PROFIT: The 2025 Texas Medal of Arts Awards: 25 Years of Celebrating the Power of the Arts, co-chaired by Mickey Klein and Tania Schwartz, raised over $2.4 million for the Texas Cultural Trust. Proceeds raised from the biennial awards ceremony will go towards providing programs and services promoting the arts that fulfill the Texas Cultural Trust’s goal of serving as a stable funding source for the arts in Texas.