Looking Back

As the Woolaroc Museum celebrates its centennial, the venue will present a reunion of artists in its most popular show.

By Michael Clawson

The concept was simple: new work paired with old work. The new work was for sale, and the old work was there to ground the artist to their origins. For collectors, the pairing was meant to illuminate an artist’s history and guide them to their current work. Since 2013, this formula worked tremendously well for the Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve’s biennial exhibition and sale, started in 2013.

Josh Elliott, Shadows Chasing Light, oil, 18 x 54 in.

The museum is tweaking this concept for the museum’s 100th anniversary, although the general theme is the same: honor the past while celebrating the present and future. The event, the Woolaroc Exhibition & Sale, kicks off October 18 at the museum in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Previous iterations of the exhibition featured a limited number of artists, usually around eight, to allow extra wall space for their works. This year’s show will tweak the concept by bringing all the previous artists back as the museum celebrates its centennial. And every work, all of them new, will be for sale.

Dan Ostermiller, Empty Saddle, bronze, 14 x 5 x 19 in.

“This year’s Woolaroc Exhibition is more than an art show; it’s a celebration of the artists, history and enduring spirit of Woolaroc,” says Kevin Hoch, the museum’s CEO. “Reaching 100 years is a remarkable milestone, and we are honored to feature artists whose work reflects both the beauty of our landscape and the timeless essence of the American West.”

The lineup includes an all-star grouping of artists: William Alther, Bill Anton, Thomas Blackshear II, Tom Browning, Scott Burdick, George Carlson, Tim Cherry, Len Chmiel, Sherrie McGraw, Dean Mitchell, James Morgan, John Moyers, Grant Redden, Tim Shinabarger, Mian Situ, Matt Smith, Tucker Smith, Daniel Spring, Sonya Terpening and many others. Additionally, painter Bob Kuhn will be honored posthumously.

Glenn Dean, Desert Passage, oil, 24 x 24 in.

Another artist participating is Logan Maxwell Hagege, who says that the museum’s format of looking back and forward simultaneously works well for him. “I learn something from every painting I do. That will generally inform the direction of the next painting. Sometimes I work on a piece that demands a lot of careful measuring and a link to reality. Very often after working on a piece that demands a lot of ‘carefulness’ I’ll choose to paint something next that allows for more freedom, maybe a landscape or a piece that I make up completely out of my head,” he says. “Each painting is a stepping stone and dictates where I feel I need to go next.”

Roseta Santiago, Desert Dweller, oil, 12 x 12 in.

Glenn Dean has said previously that he dwells in the present and doesn’t stress too much about the past. His 2023 Woolaroc presentation forced him to go back. “Work done 20 years ago is quite different than work I have done 10 years ago. In general, I do think my work has changed over the years. Hopefully it has gotten better—whatever that means. I never know if it has or hasn’t,” he says, adding that each painting does not inform the next one. “For me, each painting has lessons. Some paintings are successes and others just don’t work out like I had hoped. It is difficult to pinpoint all the factors that can cause either outcome. If my last painting was no good, I tend to start the next painting with renewed ambition to do better. So, I have every good intention for each new piece, regardless of the outcome of the previous piece. This keeps me from feeling stuck. Moving forward amidst varying outcomes. I suppose that is the process of art making.”

William Acheff, Two Seasons, oil, 20 x 16 in.

Dean will be offering his newest painting, Desert Passage, showing a horse and rider in front of a large rocky butte in the distance.

Another returning artist (although, they’re all returning artists) is Roseta Santiago, who will be bringing Desert Dweller, a painting of a blanket-clad figure, among other works. “Malcolm Gladwell’s philosophy in [his book] The Tipping Pointapplies to how I look at my work. I had a late start teaching myself oil painting in 2000 when I moved to Santa Fe to attempt a fine arts career in painting. Staying open and painting every day is a mantra that I stick to today,” she says. “My simplified version of the tipping point is to paint enough that I can master it—including the observation, thought processes and emotional filters. It is all a wonderful banquet of expression. Each time I paint, I see the effect of my journey and work. As in my previous careers, I knew if I applied myself that I could have this career. I am a good student and constantly observe the creative arts, gaining inspiration along the way. It has been and continues to be rewarding and the dream of my lifetime, knowing very well there is more to see. Coming out of my brush in the future. Staying curious and laser-focused is always my advice to myself and artists I mentor.”

Scott Christensen, Sweetwater Gap, oil, 20 x 20 in.

Among the landscape painters in the show are Scott Christensen, George Carlson, Clyde Aspevig and Josh Elliott, who will be presenting Shadows Chasing Light, a dramatic image of a dry desert riverbed draped in moody shadow. Elliott is from the Woolaroc’s class of 2021. Speaking of the natural pull that artists feel to look backward into the past, Elliott roots himself within the moment of each painting’s creation. “I try to do paintings that are individual statements and try my best not to repeat ideas. I would say my past paintings inform me on what not to do as much as what to do, so I am not painting the same thing over and over,” he says. “Often, I am trying to paint paintings that I feel would be a challenge that I am not sure I can pull off. This keeps it interesting for me, but also causes me some problems as they don’t all turn out. I don’t want to approach my work any other way, however, because playing it safe can be boring and I want to see what I can do. If I have a ‘thing’ that I do, I would say it is variety within the scope of our Western landscape.”

Logan Maxwell Hagege, Patterns, oil, 20 x 12 in.

Former illustrator and present-day painter of action and wildlife, Ezra Tucker is returning to the Woolaroc this year with his painting Choosing the One, showing a rider bearing down on a bison during a hunt. “From my beginnings as a professional artist, my desire and agenda has been to stay open to a life-long journey of learning. I believe this point of view and my abilities are gradually maturing and evolving daily,” he says on the subject of looking back on one’s history. “Therefore, enhancing all that I create as long as I create without boundaries. I am not done yet.”

Ezra Tucker, Choosing the One, acrylic on illustration board, 30 x 20 in.

Tucker’s not done, and neither is the museum, which was founded in 1925 by oil tycoon Frank Phillips. His home and collection serve as the foundation of the Woolaroc and its collection. The Woolaroc Exhibition & Sale opens on October 18 with a full day of activities that include a lecture presentation, lunch, cocktail reception and dinner. The full exhibition will remain on view through December 31. —