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Worthy Convos: America 250 Winner Tealy Kaiser
2026 is the United States’ semiquincentennial. (Say that five times fast!) Yes, we’re celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
To celebrate, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM), in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), established the America 250 City Art Poster Project. In Fort Worth, Mayor Mattie Parker, Fort Works Art, and Gallery of Dreams invited local artists to create posters that celebrate our history while inspiring hope for future Fort Worthians.
The winner, announced last week, was Tealy Kaiser, a senior choir major at I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM & VPA. Not just a choir major, Tealy is also on the school’s winning robotics team and has participated in many art competitions. Her achievements, impressive on their own, are even more impressive once you learn that Tealy was born with two brain abnormalities which led to a diagnosis of epilepsy with accompanying surgeries and ongoing medical supervision (i.e., frequent trips to Houston to consult with her neurologists).
Tealy generously took time from her busy schedule (she’s been bombarded by requests for interviews) to take part in a Worthy Convo.
Tealy Kaiser
Tanglewood Moms: Congratulations on your win! What drew you to enter the America 250 City Art Poster Project?
Tealy Kaiser: I’m a fourth generation Fort Worth native, and the contest was something that I was drawn to… I wanted to show our cultural history on the boot proudly.
TWM: Tell us about your vision for your poster.
TK: My poster is a boot that has areas that are significant to Fort Worth on it. [I included] the Botanical Garden, the Water Gardens, downtown Fort Worth, the Stockyards, Frog Fountain, and blue bonnets. I felt that a boot is a significant representation of Fort Worth, and it tells our history. Colors on the boot… represent the Texas flag, and the date when it was established is found on the pull strap. The shape of Texas is found on the front of the boot with a longhorn marking where Cowtown is.
Kaiser, Tealy. Cowtown Bootin Scootin. 2026, Fort Worth. Photo courtesy of Tealy Kaiser.
TWM: According to the VERY official press release that Fort Works Art Gallery sent about your win, your design, Cowtown Bootin Scootin, captures “the traditional, yet evolving spirit of Fort Worth.” How did you balance honoring our city’s traditions and history while making a piece of contemporary art?
TK: I tried balancing both by keeping traditional Fort Worth elements like the Western culture and movement clearly recognizable, while using modern style, color, and composition to make it feel current. My boot honors the past and the present with how Fort Worth is evolving today.
TWM: Did your heritage influence how you approached celebrating Fort Worth’s history and future?
TK: Since I am fourth generation [Fort Worth native], I wanted to make sure I added in details that I’ve known since I was little girl into this boot that had a special meaning or memory.
TWM: Is there a particular detail in your design that you’re secretly proud of?
TK: I feel like the detail that I am most proud of is combining all these historical landmarks [into something that’s] not overwhelming and too chaotic at the same time. It was very hard, combining all these historical landmarks together into one boot.
Tealy at the unveiling of the Lowden mural, which she helped to create with her classmates
TWM: You’re a senior choir major at I.M. Terrell, yet you do lots of visual art AND you’re on the school’s robotics team. On top of all that, you’ve become an advocate for epilepsy awareness, a disease you have lived with for most if not all of your life. How in the world do you balance it all?
TK: I balance all this by using my time wisely – making sure I’m not missing school events, and making sure dates don’t line up against each other regarding my academics and obligations. I try to be open about my epileptic journey to help others that struggle with the stigma surrounding it.
TWM: What does the future hold for Tealy Kaiser?
TK: Right now, I’m undecided between UTA and TCU. Both universities offered scholarship options. UTA awarded me the Presidential Honors Scholarship! TCU is seven minutes from my home, which is certainly convenient. Being an epileptic, the state of Texas says that I cannot drive until I am three months seizure-free, so commuting is a challenge. On my art side, I would love for an established boot company to help me place my work on an actual boot so I can wear it. This would be life-changing for me.
On her way to be interviewed on Fox 4’s Good Day
