TITLE: Commending art therapist and O. Henry Middle School counselor Wanda Montemayor of Austin for leading a project to create a mural depicting 100 years of history at Deep Eddy Pool.

SUMMARY: Commending art therapist and O. Henry Middle School counselor Wanda Montemayor of Austin for leading a project to create a mural depicting 100 years of history at Deep Eddy Pool.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Wanda Montemayor, an art therapist and school counselor, initiated and led an effort in 2011 to create a mosaic mural at Deep Eddy Pool in Austin; and WHEREAS, This impressive public art installation depicts the 100-year history of the oldest swimming pool in Texas with a colorful array of tiles and mirror shards; along with black-and-white illustrations of patrons in period attire, the 1200-square-foot design includes discrete sections of text describing a time when the pool featured carnival acts such as a trapeze and a diving horse; and WHEREAS, The mural is the end result of a half-decade of research, planning, fund-raising, and dedicated work on the part of Ms. Montemayor and more than 60 volunteers, including children and teens from eight Austin area schools; motivated by a desire to encourage self-expression and to help students develop a sense of belonging, she tasked them with crafting and laying the blue and green clay tiles and inscribing them with personal messages about their lives and their plans for the future; and WHEREAS, An eighth-grade counselor at O. Henry Middle School, Ms. Montemayor has championed the use of art therapy to help at-risk children for more than a decade; she holds master's degrees in art therapy and professional counseling and has shared her expertise with such organizations as Safe Place, Con Mi MADRE, and Big Brothers Big Sisters; and WHEREAS, Through her involvement in this worthwhile initiative, Wanda Montemayor created both a vibrant tribute to a historic Texas landmark and a creative outlet for young people, and she may reflect with great pride on her role in an artistic endeavor that will be admired for years to come; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby commend Wanda Montemayor for overseeing the Deep Eddy mural project and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success in all her endeavors; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Ms. Montemayor as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Howard Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 680 was adopted by the House on March 13, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House