The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University has acquired singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin’s voluminous archives and opened a major exhibition about the life and music career of the multi-Grammy Award winner.
“STEADY ON: Shawn Colvin” is the first exhibit of a Lilith Fair Festival-era headlining artist. Colvin, who settled in Austin more than 30 years ago, is best known for her Grammy-winning debut album “Steady On” and the shimmering murder ballad “Sunny Came Home,” which won Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 40th annual Grammy Awards.
Those end-of-night Grammy wins for the same song puts the 10-time Grammy nominee in such company as Kendrick Lamar, Amy Winehouse and Billie Eilish. Her enduring and insightful music, with its echoes of Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Paul Simon, bridged decades and made her an icon to the Taylor Swift generation.
Colvin’s rich archives — which she donated to The Wittliff in 2025 — provide a rare look at an artist whose inspirational story connects Texas and The Wittliff to the ascension of women to the top of the pop music charts in the 1990s.
The South Dakota-born singer was part of the wave that included Tracy Chapman, Suzanne Vega, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Destiny’s Child, Sinead O’Connor and so many others.
That seismic shift culminated with Lilith Fair. Her three-year association with the groundbreaking all-women festival tour bolstered her mystique. She became a mom while on the ’98 Lilith tour, performing while pregnant with her daughter, Caledonia.
Colvin’s collaborations with artist Julie Speed and photographers Kate Breakey and Alexandra Valenti elevated her work. Her appearances on “The Simpsons” (she voiced the animated Christian rock character Rachel Jordan), “Sesame Street” (Elmopalooza!) and on “The Larry Sanders Show” add yet another dimension to her wide pop culture appeal.
“STEADY ON” is a major exhibition and runs through December 2028. It corresponds with the 30-year anniversary of Colvin’s milestone years,1996 - 1998.
The era is celebrated in the acclaimed new documentary, “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery.”
Highlights from “STEADY ON” include: - Colvin’s composition book for her biggest album, A Few Small Repairs - Colvin’s 1971 Martin acoustic guitar used to write her most famous songs - Childhood drawings and first guitar - West Texas artist Julie Speed’s painting Setting the World on Fire - Speed’s collage A Few Small Repairs - Photographer Kate Breakey’s rejected original artwork for the album which became Whole New You - Lilith Fair stage outfit - Colvin’s three Grammy Awards - “The Simpsons” shooting script and sheet music Rare audio recordings and video performances Colvin’s archives include handwritten lyrics, composition books, recording notes, multi-track master tapes, rare audio and video recordings, demos, photographs, posters, original artwork, childhood ephemera, newspaper clippings, musical instruments, awards, correspondence, television scripts, stage and fashion outfits and handcrafted items.
Like Jerry Jeff Walker, Ray Benson and Patty Griffin, Colvin was an outsider who came to Austin and became part of the fabric of Texas music. Her collaborations with Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Griffin cover a range of Americana, folk and country music.
