The 2025 Court Artist, David Phillips, is primarily a self-taught artist. He began his creative journey as a high school freshman in College Station, Texas. There, he sold his works at local galleries and participated in juried shows. His artistic talents reflect a unique blend of his analytical paternal lineage and his artistic maternal heritage.

After serving in the U.S Navy, David pursued a Fine Arts degree at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. In 2018, he collaborated with fellow artists as a Designer of the Royal Robes for Las Doñas de la Corte. Since then, he has designed for four additional Courts, with this year marking his fifth tenure in the role.

Over the years, David has cultivated an appreciation of a wide array of artistic mediums including glass types and their production methods. This year’s designs pay tribute to contemporary crystal and glass designers while tracing the historical evolution of glassmaking across various eras, emphasizing cultural and regional significance. For David, representing other artists—particularly glass artists—and honoring their legacies is a cornerstone of his creative process, fueled by his fascination with the early history and origins of glass production.

An experienced traveler, David visited Sardinia, Italy in 1997, where he acquired a small green glass vase and a matching green glass horse from a local artisan. These rustic pieces, marked by sand and imperfections, were crafted using an ancient regional technique—a style he has since woven into his recent work. Though often called a perfectionist, David finds value in intentional imperfections, believing they enhance the beauty of his creations. Since visiting Italy, the green glass vase from Sardinia has remained on his drawing table, holding sketch pencils, a constant reminder that human artistry emerges from a lineage of trial and error, where flaws contribute to the allure.