HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2000-4772, by Representatives Skinner, Kessler, Clements, Mitchell, Cox, Campbell, Dunn, Wensman, Radcliff, Kenney, Edwards, Cairnes, Esser, Hankins, Talcott, Ballasiotes, D. Sommers, Fisher, Dickerson, Linville, Benson, Quall, Tokuda, Doumit, Ruderman, Anderson, Eickmeyer, Lantz, Stensen, Haigh, Rockefeller, Keiser, Conway, Regala, Wolfe, Kagi, Murray, Santos, Schual‑Berke, Thomas, D. Schmidt, Carlson and Lovick

        WHEREAS, It is the policy of the Washington state legislature to recognize and honor the contributions of individuals who reflect standards of excellence that advance the well-being and quality of lives of the citizens of the state of Washington; and

        WHEREAS, The National Endowment for the Arts and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation have developed a program known as "Artists and Communities:  America Creates for the Millennium"; and

        WHEREAS, The Allied Arts Council of Yakima Valley and the entire Yakima Valley join a select group in receiving the millennium project designation, which is awarded to only one community in each state, with the Yakima Valley project representing the entire state of Washington; and

        WHEREAS, The Yakima Valley is where prominent and recognized artist-in-residence, Wen-ti Tsen, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, will live and work for much of the year 2000, bringing his extraordinary talents which will have a significant impact on the people of the Yakima Valley and the whole state of Washington; and

        WHEREAS, Artist-in-residence, Wen-ti Tsen, is a Chinese-American educator, sculptor, muralist, and mixed media artist, who has orchestrated community art projects from Boston to Moscow; and

        WHEREAS, Artist-in-residence, Wen-ti Tsen, began using art to study society, then increasingly, began doing community and public art projects and using oral history, painting, and installations to integrate personal and community expression, centering on cultural diversity; and

        WHEREAS, Artist-in-residence, Wen-ti Tsen, will use local stories to create works of public art that will celebrate our people's experience of creating and sustaining a community; and

        WHEREAS, Artist-in-residence, Wen-ti Tsen, will coordinate a valley-wide effort to develop an art-based project using the theme of water, "The lifesource of the Yakima Valley and so much of our state"; and

        WHEREAS, Artist-in-residence, Wen-ti Tsen, will bring people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds to direct involvement in designing, developing, and implementing multiple artistic endeavors around the theme of water; and

        WHEREAS, Artist-in-residence, Wen-ti Tsen, believes art is an important part of everyday life, a way individuals express their experiences and aspirations, an educational tool that can help change young peoples' attitudes, and provide them with a different perspective, and a bridge to support and instruct others on issues that affect their lives;

        NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington state House of Representatives express its sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Allied Arts Council of Yakima Valley for its successful efforts in bringing the nation-wide Millennium "Artist-in-Residence" program and internationally recognized artist, Wen-ti Tsen, as its "Artist-in-Residence" to the Yakima Valley and the state of Washington; and

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Co-Chief Clerks of the House of Representatives to artist-in-residence, Wen-ti Tsen, the Allied Arts Council of Yakima Valley, the city of Yakima, and the Yakima County commissioners.

                I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of

               Resolution 4772 adopted by the House of Representatives

                                    March 1, 2000.

________________________________                        _____________________________

Timothy A. Martin, Co-Chief Clerk                     Cynthia Zehnder, Co-Chief Clerk