LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Ishmael Houston-Jones upon the occasion
of his designation as recipient of The Passing it On Award by the Brook-
lyn Arts Exchange Arts and Artists in Progress

WHEREAS, It is the practice of this Legislative Body to honor and recog-
nize those individuals whose commitment and creative talents contribute
to the cultural enrichment of their communities and of the entire State
of New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Ishmael Houston-Jones upon the occasion of his designation as recipient
of The Passing it On Award, to be celebrated at the 14th Annual Brooklyn
Arts Exchange Arts and Artists in Progress Awards Ceremony, on Saturday,
March 28, 2015, at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange Building, Park Slope,
Brooklyn; and
WHEREAS, The Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX) Arts and Artists in Progress
awards recognize individuals in the arts who have revealed and trans-
formed their creative works; by instigating change, they have deepened
the definition of their field and paved the way for others; and
WHEREAS, These distinguished awards are given to some of the most
talented, generous, creative, and inventive persons in New York City
dance, theater or performance; each awardee is then asked to Pass it On,
honoring a colleague who demonstrates the same qualities for which they,
themselves, were chosen; and
WHEREAS, Choreographer, author, teacher, performer, and arts activist,
Ishmael Houston-Jones received the Pass it On Award from frequent colla-
borator, Yvonne Meier, who was the recipient of the auspicious Perform-
ing Arts Award by BAX; and
WHEREAS, Ishmael Houston-Jones' improvised dance and text work has
been performed all over the globe, including New York City, throughout
the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, and Latin America; and
WHEREAS, Along with colleague Fred Holland, Ishmael Houston-Jones was
the recipient of the Bessie Award for "Cowboys, Dreams and Ladders"; in
addition, in 1985, he won the Bessie Award for "THEM", a collaboration
with writer Dennis Cooper and composer Chris Cochrane; and
WHEREAS, "THEM", an incendiary work which addresses some of the many
ways men could be with men, has been seen at several venues, including
PS 122, the American Realness Festival in New York City, Springdance in
Utrecht, Centre Pompidou in Paris, HAU 2 with the TanzimAugust festival
in Berlin, and REDCAP in Los Angeles, and at TAP Poitiers, in France;
and
WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
those individuals who add strength, vigor and inspiration to the
cultural diversity and quality of life in the communities of the State
of New York; and
WHEREAS, It is most fitting that we take time to celebrate the arts of
our Nation, to honor our artists, and to express our appreciation to
everyone who patronizes the arts; and as we celebrate the arts, we cele-
brate and give thanks to our American freedom, the only atmosphere in
which artists can truly create and in which art is truly the expression
of the soul; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Ishmael Houston-Jones upon the occasion of his designation as
recipient of The Passing it On Award by the Brooklyn Arts Exchange Arts
and Artists in Progress; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Ishmael Houston-Jones.