Butler Texas Young Masters Celebrates 15 of Texas’ Most Promising Young Artists
The biennial celebration in Austin honored the new class with scholarship support and live performances by acclaimed Texas artists
The Texas Cultural Trust and the Texas Commission on the Arts honored 15 young artists from across the state Monday night at Zach Theater, celebrating the 2026 class of Butler Texas Young Masters with $10,000 scholarship grants and appearances by Texas arts icons Ray Benson, Elizabeth Crook and Lauren Anderson.
Presented every two years, the Butler Texas Young Masters program recognizes Texas students in grades 8-11 for exceptional promise in disciplines including visual arts, literary arts, music, theater, dance, musical theater, folk and traditional arts, and media arts. Each student receives $5,000 per year for two years to support advanced artistic study.
This year’s class includes students from 12 cities across Texas and represents the program’s 13th cohort. Since the program began in 2002, the Trust and the commission have awarded 431 grants to 199 Young Masters, investing more than $1.3 million in their artistic development.
Honoring the state’s young talent
The celebration, chaired by Adrienne and Chris Bosh, brought together established Texas artists and rising talent for an evening of performances and recognition. Featured guests included Benson of Asleep at the Wheel, award-winning author Crook and Anderson, the Houston Ballet’s first African American principal dancer. Benson closed the show with a musical number featuring members of the 2026 class.
“The Young Masters grant program was created as a way to recognize and support young people pursuing the dream of becoming prominent Texan artists of the next generation,” said TCA Executive Director Gary Gibbs. “These young artists earned the Young Masters title because of their outstanding artistic ability, talent, and dedication to developing their knowledge in their chosen discipline. We congratulate them on their accomplishments.”
Supporting the next generation
“Through the Butler Texas Young Masters program, we are proud to invest in the next generation of creative leaders,” says TXCT CEO Heidi Marquez Smith. “With the support of our patrons, families, and arts advocates, we’re not only sustaining Texas’ rich cultural legacy, we’re also strengthening it for the future. We can’t wait to see what these extraordinary young artists will accomplish and are honored to be part of their journey.”
To qualify, students must live in Texas and participate in a school-based arts program, summer institute, specialized course of study or private lessons with a qualified professional instructor. Winners are selected by a statewide citizen panel of experts based on artistic excellence, commitment and the strength of their proposed plan of action.
The Butler Texas Young Masters program is supported by the Butler Texas Young Masters Endowment and presented biennially by the Texas Cultural Trust and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
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