Texas Medal of Arts Honors Walter Cronkite, Bill Wittliff, and More Next Week

One of the cornerstone events put on by the Texas Cultural Trust -- which also runs the fledgling young professional arts group, StrataTX -- is the biannual Texas Medal of Arts Awards. Since 2001, the Medal of Arts have recognized "outstanding contributions" by standout Texans, notable past winners of which include Tommy Lee Jones (film), Willie Nelson (music), Phylicia Rashad (TV/theatre) and Joe and Teresa Long (for arts patronage).

A slew of events are planned for next Monday and Tuesday, culminating in the actual awards ceremony on Tuesday evening at the Paramount Theatre. Emceed by CBS News correspondent Bob Schieffer, the evening's festivities include a dance performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; music by Del Castillo, Ray Benson and Friends, and violinist Charles Yang; and appearances by various and sundry Texas celebs.

Some of this year's honorees:

Walter Cronkite (Lifetime Achievement)
CBS News anchor and correspondent, UT alumnus
Ornette Coleman (Music)
Grammy Award-winning jazz legend
Sandra Brown (Literary Arts)
Incredibly prolific novelist, with over 50 New York Times bestsellers
Jesus Moroles (Visual Arts)
Internationally-acclaimed sculptor, whose 22-foot-tall, 64-ton "Lapstrake" sits across from the MoMA in New York City
Judith Ivey (Theatre)
Tony Award-winning actress with extensive work in television, film, and theatre
Bill Wittliff (Media/Multimedia)
Austin-based photographer/film producer/director/publisher/screenwriter
Dr. Paul Baker (Arts Education)
Former Baylor University and Trinity University Chairman of Drama, once referred to as "the most important man in the history of Texas theatre"
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (Dance)
Visionary modern dance troupe