Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX May 26-September 5
Iconic western artists like Charles M. Russell, Frederic Remington, Edward Borein, W.R. Leigh, and Frank Tenney Johnson helped codify the look and style of traditional western art that has long defined the American West—and has inspired and fueled the work of the Cowboy Artists of America.
Since its founding in 1965, the CAA has been committed to authentically preserving and perpetuating the culture of western life in fine art. A new exhibition called The Sons of Charlie Russell: Cowboy Artists of America, which premieres at the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio, TX, over Memorial Day weekend, traces the successive artwork of the CAA and offers a visual link connecting traditional western art from 1890 to the present.
“This show looks at a group that’s been fundamental to the field of western art and studies it from a curated, art-historical perspective,” says Michael Duchemin, Ph.D., the museum’s president and CEO. “It dives into the value of tradition and how it’s maintained, but also how it evolves over time, because no tradition is static.”
The Briscoe exhibition, which features 40 artists and includes 70 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper, is the first and only time the western works will be displayed together. Showcased are historical works by Russell, Remington, Borein, Leigh, and Johnson, along with contemporary works by CAA members, including Tom Browning, Phil Epp, Martin Grelle, Bill Nebeker, and Grant Redden. The 17 lenders to the exhibition are the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Booth Western Art Museum, the Eddie Basha Collection, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, and the Sid Richardson Museum, as well as private lenders from Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Nine of the featured works come from the Briscoe’s permanent collection.
The preview party on Thursday, May 26, is followed by a weekend of events, including an exclusive meet and greet with Duchemin and Liz Jackson, Briscoe vice president; a sponsor luncheon and curator talk; a VIP tour led by Emily Wilson, Briscoe curator of art; a CAA artist demonstration; and family-friendly art activities. Associated summer events and programs ensure that the Briscoe exhibition is a can’t-be-missed experience. —Beth Williams
contact information210.299.4499www.briscoemuseum.org
This story appeared in the June/July 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.
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