1-15-2025 -

The new exhibit coming to The Museum of Western Art is aptly titled Shermalee & Lou, The Mack Cowboys will open with an evening reception on Saturday, January 25th. The exhibit celebrates the work of Bandera husband-and-wife sculptors Shermalee and Lou Mack and will showcase 19 bronze sculptures focused on Western life

 

About the artists:

John Mack, one of Shermalee and Lou’s eight children, loves sharing the remarkable story of his parents’ lives. Lou Mack grew up on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation in South Dakota. Life was harsh but he and his 10 brothers and sisters grew up in a loving, stable home. However, when he was nine years old, his mother died and he soon found himself shuttled between the Indian Boarding School and working the agency “beef camp” to manage the cattle herd. Upon high school graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and qualified for the V-8 flight school in Colorado Springs.

 

In contrast, Mary Shermalee Willard grew up as an only child of renowned parents in an affluent household of celebrity and comfort. Shermalee’s father was a pioneer aviator and rancher which necessitated the family move frequently. They ranched in Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and Arizona. In 1945, the Willards purchased a ranch hear Trinidad, Colorado, the same time that Lou was in flight school. Lou’s eldest sister arranged a meeting  with Shermalee on the Trinidad Ranch. That meeting was a pivotal moment in their lives as it began a love affair that lasted over 80 years.

 

Shermalee and Lou raised eight children while he worked in law enforcement and home building in Texas. Upon retirement from the Immigration and Naturalization Agency in 1978, the couple began a new chapter in their lives and opened Skyline Ranch RV Park in Bandera.  By that time, their artistic tendencies had begun to pay off.

 

The creative years:

Once all eight of the Mack’s children were in school, Shermelee found time to sit at the kitchen table with paper and glue and create works of art in paper mache´. Once confident in her abilities, she unleashed her creative juices and moved into bronze sculpting. Lou also began sculpting and the two began traveling the country to exhibitions and gallery shows, stopping wherever they saw scenes worth photographing for later inspiration. Their particular passion was always western life, cowboys, longhorns and Native tribes. The couple’s artistic careers spanned from 1975 to 1995.

 

The exhibition:

Darrell Beauchamp, Executive Director of The Museum of Western Art, is delighted to have the Mack’s works on display and pleased to mount it in cooperation with the Frontier Times Museum. “The Macks were not only great talents but great people. Their passion for our Western heritage is depicted vividly in each of their works. Both were exceptional talents.”

 

When asked which sculptures are “don’t miss”, John highlights three favorites. “Sioux Shawl Dancer depicts the traditional dancing still done on Sioux Nation reservations. Its circular design has so much exquisite motion. Tagalong is a beautiful piece depicting three brothers and sisters from the Southern Plains Indian tribe as they are mounting a donkey. And Moccasin Maker is a fascinating portrayal of three generations of Northern Plains Indians – a grandmother, mother, and daughter. It captures a wonderful human connection.”

 

Prior to coming to the Museum of Western Art, the Mack’s exhibit appeared at the Frontier Times Museum in Bandera, from July 26, 2024 until January 15th, 2025. Rebecca Norton, Executive Director of the museum, said visitors have been enthused with the collection. “We were very fortunate that Julian Tallichet, a Board Trustee, donated two Mack bronzes to the museum in honor of his late wife, Jan. Occupational Hazard and The Shawl Dancer are so striking that we seized the opportunity presented by the Mack’s children to do a retrospective of their parents’ works. We're so pleased to be able to share the exhibit with the Museum of Western Art so more visitors can enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the Mack Cowboys."

 

Shermalee Mack passed away in 2017 and Lou followed in 2024. John

describes them as “humble people who were deeply passionate about life and their Western heritage. I hope people find time to enjoy their work that perpetuates that long-gone era.”

 

Shermalee & Lou, the Mack Cowboys, will run at the Museum of Western Art from January 25 – March 15th in the Thelma Kieckhefer Gallery. John and Gail Mack and other family members who have worked to make the public exhibition possible, will be on hand to greet visitors at the opening night reception on January 25 from 5:30 – 7:30. Admission is complimentary by RSVP’ing to museumofwesternart.com under “events.”