The Museum of the Big Bend in Alpine, Texas, prepares for the 36th celebration of Trappings of Texas, beginning with the preview party on Thursday, September 15. Located in the heart of ranching country, the exhibition and sale will have more than 35 artists who have a connection to the ranching world and are inspired to depict Western scenes and cowboy culture. The show and sale, featuring around 90 works, will also feature high-quality custom cowboy gear and jewelry.
Kim Mackey, Comanches!, oil, 16 x 20”
“This year we mainly have paintings ranging from oil and acrylic, to pastel and mixed media,” explains museum director Mary Bones. “[Our juried exhibition] includes quality, recent work from emerging and new artists to the show, as well as returning artists in contemporary and traditional styles. We like to mix it up by showcasing a variety of subject matter like landscapes, Native Americans, horses, cattle and some wildlife, but the work fits in the overarching theme that shows the artist’s background and knowledge of ranching and cowboy life.”
Phil Epp, Along the Tracks #2, acrylic on board, 24 x 72”
The featured artist for the show, Phil Epp, will have works like Along the Tracks that epitomizes the theme of the exhibition and sale. Epp was raised on a crop and cattle farm in rural Nebraska, and this experience inspired his career in depicting open spaces of the Great Plains—often incorporating horses, cowboys, Native Americans, animals and iconic Western imagery. In Along the Tracks #2, we see a wide-angle, horizontal view of a cattle chute, where cattle are transported onto railroad cars—inspired by the artist’s trip with the Cowboy Artist’s of America near Marfa, Texas. The surrounding landscape is empty and vast, drenched in a rosy hue cast by a beautifully colored sky from a setting sun.
More detailed pieces like Herman Walker’s Monday, Monday, of a cowboy on horseback chasing down cattle amid a dense, desert brush, will also be on view. Artist Lindy Cook Severns will feature Breathing Space, a pastel landscape that features the Chisos Mountains in the Big Bend area. Severns is successful in illuminating the surprising amount of color that can be found in deserted regions, and in the clouds that hint at an impending storm. Additional pieces include Kerri Menchaca’s unique night scene Exploring in the Dark and Kim Mackey’s Comanches! showing men at high alert behind covered wagons.
Lindy Cook Severns, Breathing Space, pastel, 19 x 27”
The preview party will be the first opportunity to see these significant pieces, and more, in person. This is also where purchases or bids can be made, as the museum uses a ballot system for sales. Lucky buyers will know on Saturday, September 17, what pieces they get to take home (after the exhibition ends on November 5). Following the preview party on Friday, September 16, there will be an opening reception and sale from 6 to 9 p.m., and on both Friday and Saturday patrons can watch artist demonstrations on the museum’s front porch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ending the three-day event will be the Ranch Roundup Party, hosted by the Caldwell family on the Mitre Peak Ranch from 5 to 8 p.m., on Saturday, September 17. All events are ticketed, with prices and details found on the museum website.
Herman Walker, Monday, Monday, oil, 18 x 24”
“I want folks to experience our really friendly exhibition and sale,” expresses Bones. “For those coming for the first time, they’re going to be made to feel very welcomed. Everyone that attends is always excited to be here, and it’s such a wonderful opportunity to meet the artists in a down-home, laid-back environment. It’s really special out here in the Big Bend!” —
Trappings of Texas
September 15-November 5, 2022
Preview Party, Sept. 15, 5-8 p.m.
Opening Reception and Sale, Sept. 16, 6-9 p.m.
Exhibition and Events, Sept. 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ranch Roundup Party, Sept. 17, 5-8 p.m.
Museum of the Big Bend, 400 N. Harrison Street, C-101, Alpine, TX 79832
(432) 837-8730, www.museumofthebigbend.com
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