Museum of the Big Bend Continues to “Tell the Story”

Since 1925, the Museum of the Big Bend has told the story of the Big Bend and Davis Mountains region through exhibits, speaker series, adult workshops and children’s programs.
Museum exhibits trace the region’s natural history, human history and confluence of cultures. The historic Marty and Yana Davis Map Collection includes maps dating from as early as 1548.
The museum has received honors for excellence from Preservation Texas, Humanities Texas and the Texas Historical Commission, among others. Museum publications have won a number of prestigious Wilder awards for design excellence.
Visit the museum Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays 1-5 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are welcome. Parking is available. For information, call (432) 837-8730 or visit www.museumofthebigbend.com.

Herman Walker, Needin' A Drink, 12x16, oil, $2,125

Edgar Sotelo, o6, 11x14 oil on canvas

TPS 25: The International
Competition
June 3-September 4, 2016
The Museum of the Big Bend is proud to premiere TPS 25: The International Competition. The Texas Photographic Society (TPS) selected Rixon Reed, founder and director of photo-eye and Art Photo Index in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to jury this exhibit. In celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of this competition, Reed selected the work of twenty-five photographers. The call was open-themed, and submissions from artists of all levels were encouraged. Over $1,000 in cash prizes were awarded, and a catalog was designed to accompany the show.
TPS 25: The International Competition will open on Friday, June 3, at the Museum of the Big Bend, with an opening reception from 6-8 p.m.
On Saturday, June 4, in partnership with visitalpinetx.com and the sixth annual Shooting Alpine photo contest, the museum will host a series of discussions on a variety of photographic topics. A guided sunset photo hike is scheduled for June 4, and a guided morning photo hike is scheduled for June 5.
All presentations and hikes are free and open to the public. For details about the exhibit, presentations and photo hike and walk, visit museumofthebigbend.com.
To learn more about the sixth annual Shooting Alpine photo contest, visit visitalpinetx.com.

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A Feeling of Humanity:
The Ken Ratner Collection

September 16, 2016-March 26, 2017

Gary Smith, Utah Farmer

Growing up in a Harlem housing project, Ken Ratner came from very humble beginnings. As a young boy, he felt empathy for the poor, the homeless, and those who lived on the edge. These experiences shaped both his career and the art that he collected: he was drawn to humanity. He initially collected works by the Ashcan School of artists--urban realists who documented street scenes of New York City in the early twentieth century.
After twenty years of collecting on the Ashcan School artists and their circle, Ratner felt the need to support the artists of today. In 2008, or so, he attended a Sotheby's preview of important American paintings. There he came across two paintings by Gary Ernest Smith of western agrarian scenes that floored him. When he later learned of Smith's comment that "art is a way of addressing humanity," it heightened his interest in Smith and other western painters who had a humane response to their environment.
A Feeling of Humanity is the result of Ratner’s focused collecting of contemporary western artists. His collection features thirty-seven artists and sixty-three works of art. The exhibit will open Friday, September 16, at the Museum of the Big Bend, with an opening reception from 6-8 pm. All are welcome to attend.
On Saturday, September 17, Ratner will speak about his collecting practices and his collection. That same day, the museum will host the third annual Heritage Dinner, honoring those who’ve made significant contributions to the Big Bend country and the Museum of the Big Bend.

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36. Raul Ruiz, El Vaquero, 20x24, oil on canvas,$2,750

31st Annual Trappings of Texas Opening Weekend, Sale and Reception
April 20-22, 2017
Exhibit Dates: April 22-May 21, 2017

Join the Museum of the Big Bend as we celebrate thirty-one years of bringing the best emerging and established cowboy artists to the Big Bend. Combining custom cowboy gear and Western art, Trappings has been showcasing custom cowboy gear alongside fine western art  longer and better than anyone else in the country. Events include a Preview and After-Preview Party, Grand Opening Exhibit, Sale and Reception, Chuck Wagon Breakfast and the Third annual Ranch Roundup Party. Free daytime presentations and demonstrations round out a fun-filled weekend of activities for all ages.
For more information on all events at the Museum of the Big Bend, visit www.museumofthebigbend.com/

12. Beau Compton, Dress Buckle, Hand scuplted, 14k overlay, $5,500

25. Matt Litz, Shaving Kit, all handmade, bowl is hammered from a flat piece of Sterling silver, no solder on the razor-it is all pinned together, $7,000

27. Rick McCumber, Vintage Bronc Rider Bookends, bronze, $1,725. Additional castings are available.

Tucker II Teresa Elliott oil on linen 24x30 inches $12 000

Ruben Ramos, Kitchen Knife Set, Damascus steel, Maple handles, includes handmade knife block,

27. Rick McCumber, Vintage Bronc Rider Bookends, bronze, $1,725. Additional castings are available.

Mike Pardue, Three Piece Buckle Set, engraved steel overlay, sterling bronc and copper cactus overlays, caustic blue finish

Carlos Montefusco Puma acrylic on board 12 x 16 inches $1 450