MEDIA

CA Artists Honored at MoWA

10-4-2024-

By Nancy Foster

Two new inductees to the prestigious Cowboy Artists of America were immortalized with their boot print, hand print and name embedded in concrete at the Museum of Western Art’s Cowboy Artist Honor Garden on Monday, November 2nd. Colorado landscape artist Dave Santillanes and Utah plein air artist Ron Rencher join the ranks of 18 other active CA members and 13 emeritus members of the renowned CA association. Both men traveled to Kerrville following the CA’s 58th Annual Exhibition an Sale held this past weekend in Fort Worth. Darrell Beauchamp, executive director of MoWA, was honored to have both artists participate. “Dave and Ron are superior artists and we congratulate them on being admitted to the CA’s. We’re fortunate they both could take time to visit MoWA and are already in the talking stages of how we can present their art in the future.”

The artists:

Plein air artist Dave Santillanes was born and raised in Northern Colorado, where the vast beauty of the Rocky Mountains nurtured his interest in art. After graduating from Colorado State University in 1995 with a BFA in Graphic Design, Dave delved into the “sensory experience” of outdoor painting while working full time as a wildland firefighter and later as a digital imaging technician. After 12 years of dedicated painting, Dave’s passion for plein air painting catapulted him into national acclaim for his beautiful atmospheric landscapes. Since that time he has been featured in Art of the West, Plein Air Magazine and Southwest Art magazine.

Today Dave incorporates western subjects and wildlife into his works and is the recipient of numerous awards including Grand prize Winner in the 9th Annual Plein Air Salon competition in 2020. Dave lives in Wellington, Colorado with his wife Heather and daughter Callie.

Utah-born artist Ron Rencher’s belief is that “The living elements of nature have always been my source of inspiration as an artist.” After earning a B.A. degree in Fine Art at Southern Utah University in 1975, he started his career working exclusively in watercolor and now concentrates his efforts on landscapes of the American Southwest and California.

A Signature Member of the Plein Air Painters of America and Associate Member of the Oil Painters of America, Ron’s works have also appeared in numerous Western art and plein air publications and he has gallery representation in NM, Utah, and MO. Ron and his wife Carlene currently live in Hurricane, Utah.

If you go:

MoWA’s CA Honor Garden is a salute to the Cowboy Artists of America Museum that opened here in 1983. After a reorganization in 2003, it became known as the Museum of Western Art.

The CA Honor Garden can be viewed by the public at the rear of the museum. The dozens of stones salute past and members of the CA and flank the legendary “A Hard Day’s Work” bronze by Fred Fellows. The Museum of Western Art is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1550 Bandera Highway, Kerrville. 830.896.2553 museumofwesternart.com

Museum of Western Art
Wins National Award

8-13-24 - For the fourth year in a row, the Museum of Western Art has been recognized as one of the top art museums in the West by True West Magazine. This year, the honor bestowed on MoWA was second place, with top honor going to the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis.

MoWA Executive Director expressed immense pride in receiving this prestigious award. “To be recognized by one of the leading Western magazines in the country for excellence in art is a true honor. To be second only to the Eiteljorg, a much larger museum with a significantly larger staff, is something we can also be proud of. The criteria for Top Art Museum in the West emphasizes the importance of presenting and showcasing the legacy of the West. Since this museum opened in 1983, it has been our mission to do just that, as reflected in our tagline “Where the Legend Lives.”

Beauchamp also noted that having this distinction has brought in many more visitors from around the country. “We’ve had visitors from most every state in the country. Moreover, many international art enthusiasts fly here specifically to see our museum. Ultimately, these out-of-area visitors contribute to our local economy by bringing in tourist dollars. We’re proud to be a part of the thriving cultural hub and tourism industry of the Texas Hill Country.”

The Museum of Western Art is located at 1550 Bandera Highway, Kerrville. 830.896.2553 museumofwesternart.com.

Museum of Western Art
Wins National Award

9-19-24 -

The Museum of Western Art is set to open its latest exhibit, Poetry in Motion, by Phoenix sculptor Al Glann, on Saturday, September 28. This unique collection of 45 original pieces primarily focuses on equines, all done using the negative space technique. The unique sculptures range in size from 9” to 65”.

Al Glann describes his distinct style as “basically three dimensional drawings that define the major elements of the figure or form. The viewer can then fill in the negative spaces and become an active participant in experiencing the work.” Glann, who started his career as a commercial designer, illustrator, and college professor, now concentrates on distinct sculptures, primarily done in steel and bronze. In addition to many equine sculptures, bison, moose, and ravens are also included in the MoWA exhibition.

The MoWA exhibit

The Poetry in Motion exhibit includes a full-size powder-coated steel horse sculpture titled Grazing War Horse and the distinctive 14”x9”x4” bison bronze, Spirit of Peace. Mr. Glann is “honored to have a solo show at the Museum of Western Art. I don't do traditional Western sculpture and paintings, so I am very excited to present my unique contemporary work."

Darrell Beauchamp, Executive Director of MoWA, says the exhibit will be on display in their Cowboy Artists Gallery. An opening reception, where the public will have opportunity to meet Mr. Glann, will be held on Saturday, September 28 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Admission to the reception is complimentary but RSVPs are requested via their website, museumofwesternart.com – events or by phoning the museum. “We feel the public will enjoy Mr. Glann’s innovative style," Beauchamp says. "His dramatic sculptures can be found in private collections all over the world. Many of his works will be available for purchase and are perfect for those wanting a distinctive piece of art for their home or office."

MoWA to host Western Art
Magazine Publisher

8-12-2024 - The Museum of Western Art is pleased to be hosting Tim Newton, Publisher Emeritus of Western Art & Architecture magazine for a special “art talk” on Thursday, August 29th from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. The event is free to attend and open to the public. Darrell Beauchamp, Executive Director of MoWA, is especially thrilled to have Newton here at this time.
 
“Tim has been a longtime friend and a true expert in the western art genre. Before we opened our current exhibition, Two Perspectives: Scott Christensen & Quang Ho, Tim commented publicly that ‘Quang and Scott are two of the premier painters of our time. Their works promise to be the blockbuster art exhibition of the summer here in the U.S.’ We are delighted that Tim will journey from his home in Cody,Wyoming to enjoy this dynamic exhibition and to engage with the public on the Western art genre he loves so well.”
  
An art collector for three decades, Tim Newton has amassed an important collection of art during the last three decades. His collections have been featured in several national magazines. In addition, he has served as a judge of numerous national and international art shows and competitions. Newton is a frequent guest speaker at art and museum events around the world including notable presentations at the China Central Academy of Art in Beijing and the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts in Tianjin. He is the Founder and Curator of American Masters Art for the past 17 years and served for eight years as Chairman of the Board/CEO of the Salmagundi Club in New York. Most recently, he served as publisher of Western Art & Architecture, one of the most esteemed art-related magazines in the country. He is known as an accomplished photographer, and 15 of his works were featured in “The Heavens Declare” exhibition at the Museum of Western Art.
  
Those wishing to attend the evening with Tim Newton can secure a complimentary ticket by clicking here. The Museum of Western Art is located at 1550 Bandera Highway, Kerrville. 830.896.2553.

Two Perspectives: Scott Christensen and Quang Ho July 20 – September 21, 2024 at the Museum of Western Art, Kerrville

5-8-2024 - A dynamic new exhibition is headed to the Museum of Western Art in July and Executive Director Darrell Beauchamp is already seeing the enthusiasm. “We’ve had several of the leading Western art magazines from around the country contact us for details and many art enthusiasts from around the country say they’ll attend.”

The exhibition, Two Perspectives: Scott Christensen and Quang Ho, will run for nine weeks and open on Saturday, July 20, with an artist's reception that night. Beauchamp says that both men are viewed as two of the top landscape artists in the world. "Scott Christensen is such a fabulous artist, and Quang Ho brings to life each of his paintings. Both artists provide a different yet complimentary look at the landscapes of the American West. This will be their second two-man show and we are extremely honored.”

Scott Christensen

This talented artist is known for his impressionistic studio paintings of Western landscapes, seascapes, tropical scenes, and European pastoral scenes; many created using the plein-air technique. Scott has been painting for over 30 decades and his insightful works are recognized around the globe. Two Perspectives: Scott Christensen and Quang Ho will be his largest exhibition to date. Born in Lander, Wyoming, an area known for its rugged beauty, Scott launched his passion for art after accepting that a severe neck injury had sidelined his football career. He secured his art degree and has gone on to become a leading artist as well as teacher who now resides in Idaho. “This will be my largest exhibition to date”, he says, and will include numerous of his majestic mountains, rivers and nature scenes.

Quang Ho

Quang Ho was born in 1963 in Hue, Vietnam. When he was 12, the night before Saigon fell to the communists, he immigrated as a refugee to the U.S. with his mother and seven siblings. They narrowly escaped. The family settled in Denver where he learned English and began his enchantment with the West. By the age of three, Quang had started to draw; by high school, he dominated many art competitions, and he graduated with the highest honors from the Colorado Institute of Art, where he studied with Ren Bruhm, who he credits with “opening my mind to the true vocabulary of art.” His deep pursuit of philosophy and study of painting led to his approach to “painting without a style”. His curiosity and love for all things is reflected in his various subject matter. Museum goers will delight in in his exquisitely detailed floral oils as well as his expressive nature works. Quang Ho has received top honors from organizations including the Oil Painters of America and American Impressionist Society and has been featured in top art magazines throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia since the early 1990s.

Beauchamp says that Two Perspectives: Scott Christensen and Quang Ho, is one of the most important shows the museum has ever done. “Whether you’re a serious art collector or someone who appreciates the artistry of a master, this is one exhibition you won’t want to miss.”

Museum of Western Art Receives International Award

Darrell Beauchamp, Executive Director of the Museum of Western Art, is honored to announce the Museum has been recognized with a prestigious International Award for their innovative "It’s Art, Let's Talk About It" podcast series. Launched last year, the series features 19 in-depth interviews with artists important to the Museum and the Western Art genre, including sculptors Jason Scull and James Muir, contemporary Western artist Billy Schenck, and Cowboy Artists of America members Brandon Bailey, Todd Connor, R.S. “Ron” Riddick, and the late Harold T. Holden.

The podcast is a production of the Texas Hill Country Podcast Network, which entered the podcast series into the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) in New York and received the “Communicator Award of Distinction," which is "dedicated to recognizing excellence effectiveness and innovation across all areas of communication." AIVA, whose members are an assembly of leading professionals from various disciplines in visual arts, is recognized as the leading international awards program honoring talent in the competitive field. The Award of Distinction is presented to projects that exceed industry standards in quality and achievement."

Beauchamp is delighted at the honor. "We created this podcast series to educate and showcase many talented artists who participate in our exhibitions, hold workshops, and align with our mission to preserve our Western heritage through the excellence of Western art. We recognize that not everyone can visit MoWA, so these podcasts serve as a virtual platform for others to relax at home and "visit" with some of the most influential people working in the Western art genre." Beauchamp added that a new podcast is released every few weeks, and past podcasts are available online.

Museum of Western Art
Wins National Award

For the third year in a row, the Museum of Western Art (MoWA) has won a national award from True West Magazine. Officials at the popular magazine announced the award as one of the Top 10 Western Art Museums, saying, “Hundreds of museums celebrate the art of the American West; however, True West Magazine believes that the Museum of Western Art does an especially outstanding job of presenting and showcasing the legacy of the West.” MoWA ranked third behind the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, WY and the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. The only other Texas museum in the top 10 is the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, coming in at 7th place.

Darrell Beauchamp, Executive Director of MoWA, is thrilled. "To be ranked among so many superior Western art museums in the country is a distinct honor. This award designation comes during our 40th anniversary year, making it even more special to us as we continue our mission to preserve our Western heritage through art and education. Visitors from around the globe visit Kerrville just to see our museum and leave with a better understanding of the West's historical reality and vast natural beauty. We encourage everyone to visit often, join as a member or volunteer, and enjoy the magnificent art on display from renowned former and current talents in the Western art genre.”

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