84R5232 CJM-D
By: Landgraf H.R. No. 3274
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Jane Sibley of Austin has made innumerable
contributions to art and history in the Lone Star State, and it is a
pleasure to honor this elegant and distinguished civic leader for
her many accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, Descended from tough West Texas stock, the former
Jane Dunn grew up in Fort Stockton; while performing water ballet
for the Fort Stockton Water Carnival, she discovered a passion for
the arts, which she went on to pursue as a student at The University
of Texas at Austin; and
WHEREAS, In 1950, she married Dr. D. J. Sibley, a World War II
veteran who shared her interests; the couple enjoyed a rewarding
marriage that spanned 54 years, and together they raised three
beloved children; and
WHEREAS, After moving to Austin in the early 1960s,
Ms. Sibley devoted herself to supporting art and history programs;
for her first major project, she put on a highly successful
fund-raiser for the Laguna Gloria Art Museum, later becoming
president of the museum's board of directors; her subsequent
campaign to save prehistoric rock paintings in West Texas led the
governor to appoint her to serve as a member of the Texas Historical
Commission, in which capacity she used her exceptional talent for
obtaining donations to promote many worthy projects; and
WHEREAS, With a reputation for getting things done,
Ms. Sibley was named to the board of the Austin Symphony Orchestra
in 1967 and quickly took a leading role in that organization; for
the next four decades, she guided the symphony as president and then
chair of the board; when the orchestra needed a new performing
center, she helped raise the tens of millions of dollars necessary
to convert the Palmer Auditorium into the Long Center for the
Performing Arts; and
WHEREAS, Among the numerous other institutions to have
benefited from Ms. Sibley's efforts are the Fort Stockton
Historical Society, the Paramount Theatre for the Performing Arts,
and The University of Texas College of Fine Arts Advisory Council;
her philanthropic work has been recognized with the White Shaman
Award from the Rock Art Foundation, the Ima Hogg Award from UT, and
the naming of the Austin Symphony Orchestra Jane Dunn Sibley Award
for Outstanding Cultural Arts Leadership in her honor; she is an
Austin Arts Hall of Fame inductee and an honorary citizen of Mexico;
in 2013, she released an autobiography titled Jane's Window: My
Spirited Life in West Texas and Austin; and
WHEREAS, The intelligence, charm, and steely determination
that Jane Sibley brings to all of her endeavors have created a
record of achievement that will continue to benefit the state for
many years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Jane Sibley for her civic engagement and
leadership and commend her for her dedication to the arts and to the
preservation of the state's history; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Ms. Sibley as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.