Paul Ruffin, a Texas State University System Regents’ Professor and Distinguished Professor English at Sam Houston State University, has been named Texas Poet Laureate for 2009.

The Texas Commission on the Arts announced Ruffin’s selection along with its appointments to the positions of state musician, state two-dimensional artist and state three-dimensional artist.

The positions, created by Senate Bill 1043 of the 77th Legislature, are one-year appointments. The eight appointees named for 2009 and 2010 were “selected for the exceptional quality of their work and for their outstanding commitment to the arts in Texas,” according to a statement by the arts commission.

The 2009 appointees in addition to Ruffin are Texas State Musician Willie Nelson of Austin, Texas State Two-Dimensional Artist Rene Alvarado of San Angelo, and Texas State Three-Dimensional Artist Eliseo Garcia of Dallas. The 2010 appointees include Texas State Poet Laureate Karla K. Morton of Denton, Texas State Musician Sara Hickman of Austin, Texas State Two-Dimensional Artist Marc Burckhardt of Austin and Texas State Three-Dimensional Artist John Bennett of Fredericksburg.

The appointees were recognized by the Legislature in Austin during a ceremony last week with a reading of a resolution honoring their accomplishments.

The resolution honoring Ruffin noted that he was the author of six acclaimed books of poetry as well as several volumes of fiction and nonfiction, had published poems in hundreds of journals and anthologies and is also the founder and editor of The Texas Review and the director of the Texas Review Press.

“State artists demonstrate the essence of what art in Texas is all about,” Rep. Mark Homer, chair of the House of Representative's Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism said. “The work of these artists, and others like them, ensures that art and culture thrives in our great state, and we are pleased to honor these talented men and women with this recognition.”

Nominees must be native Texans or have resided in the state for at least five years. They must have attained the highest levels of excellence and success in their respective disciplines and have received critical reviews in state, regional or national publications.

In addition, poet laureate nominees must have a substantial body of work, including at least one publication that is not self-published or has been published at the author’s expense.

State musician nominees must have a substantial body of work, including at least two nationally available records, or at least 20 years experience teaching music in a formal classroom, or must receive the majority of their income from musical endeavors.

Visual artist nominees must work in two- or three-dimensional art mediums, must have participated in at least one one-person show, and must have an extensive history of exhibiting in recognized museums and galleries.

Any Texas citizen was able to submit up to three nominations per artist category; however, self-nominations were not accepted. TCA reviewed all nominations and developed a list of finalists for submission to the Texas Poet Laureate, State Musician and State Artist Committee. The committee, composed of members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, made the final selections.

“Texas is home to so many talented artists, and this diverse group exemplifies the best of the best,” said Texas Commission on the Arts Executive Director Gary Gibbs. “This honor rewards these talented Texans for their outstanding artistic achievements, and we are proud to have them represent the state.”