The 36th Annual Trappings of Texas exhibit, showcasing the cattlemen and women who create the best of Western art and custom cowboy gear, opens Sept. 15 with three days of festivities.
“Trappings of Texas is a celebration of the cowboy and of the art created by truly knowing the land and the animals that call this countryside home,” Executive Director Mary Bones stated in the press release. “These artists have an intimate knowledge of this way of life, and it expressed in their paintings, sculpture and gear.”
Bone said the exhibit is built on the history of cattle and horses introduced from the Old World in the 1500s.
“Like so much of the American West and Southwest, Texas is built on ranching,” she stated in the press release.
This year’s premier artist is Phil Epp, who was born in rural Nebraska on a crop and cattle farm. His unique paintings are filled with billowing cloud formations, windswept prairies and vast deserts, according to a biography.
“They celebrate the naïve, the simple, the pure, the unspoiled and the spiritual,” he stated in the press release.
Epp’s paintings are found in both public and private collections, with works in some 40 states, Japan and Europe. He also works on outdoor installations, creating monumental pieces in ceramic tile for corporate and civic commissions. Epp has won numerous awards and recognition throughout his 40-year career. In 2017, he became a member of the Cowboy Artists of America. Learn more about at www.philepp.com
The weekend starts with a preview party from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 15 at the museum. Meet the artists and enjoy complimentary wine and beer, a cash bar and light appetizers from Old Gringo Coffee & Cocktails. Tickets are $50 per person.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 16-17, meet some of the artists and learn about their craft at art demonstrations on the front porch of the museum.
The opening reception and sale for registered buyers will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 16 at the museum with complimentary wine and beer, a cash bar and appetizers. Tickets are $50 per person.
The Trappings of Texas Ranch Roundup Party at Mitre Peak Ranch on Saturday night is sold out. The Museum of the Big Bend is located on the campus of Sul Ross State University. The Trappings of Texas exhibit closes Nov. 5.
