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. 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) 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.