Kelly Clarkson, Gary Clark Jr, Amanda Johnston and more artists appointed to represent Texas

A love for the arts runs deep in the heart of Texas — so deep that it has its own artist representatives, and on Monday, the Texas Commission on the Arts announced the Legislature's 2023 and 2024 appointments.

Three of the eight total appointees for both years come from Austin. They are ire'ne lara silva, Gary Clark, Jr. and Amanda Johnston, who founded Austin-based Torch Literary Arts.

2023 Texas appointees

• ire'ne lara silva, Texas Poet Laureate (Austin, Texas)

• Gary Clark Jr., Texas State Musician (Austin, Texas)

• Gaspar Enriquez, Texas State Two-Dimensional Artist (San Elizario, Texas)

• James Watkins, Texas State Three-Dimensional Artist (Lubbock, Texas)

2024 Texas appointees

• Amanda Johnston, Texas Poet Laureate (Austin, Texas)

• Kelly Clarkson, Texas State Musician (Fort Worth, Texas)

• Michael Ray Charles, Texas State Two-Dimensional Artist (Houston, Texas)

• Diana Kersey, Texas State Three-Dimensional Artist (San Antonio, Texas)

"I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude," Johnston said in a statement to the Statesman. "I'm so grateful to be among these incredible Texas state artists, and I'm honored to serve as the 2024 poet laureate."

More: Torch Literary Arts seeks to light the path for Black women writers

Finalists for these titles came through nominations from Texas citizens, and nominees had to be native Texans or have lived in Texas for a minimum of five years. They also had to "have attained the highest levels of excellence and success in their respective disciplines and earned a statewide, regional or national reputation for their high caliber work," according to a press release.

The state artists will serve a one-year term, as outlined in Senate Bill 1043, which created the positions in 2001's 77th Texas Legislature.

"The great talents of the 2023-2024 State Artists, along with all of those who were nominated, help contribute to a distinctive cultural identity that makes Texas a great place to live, work and visit," said Trent Ashby, state representative and chairman of the House Committee on Culture, Recreation & Tourism, in a statement. "It is important that we celebrate the distinguished career achievements of these artists, which have enhanced the lives of so many."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Kelly Clarkson and Gary Clark Jr. among artists to represent Texas