Few places are more splendid than the Texas Big Bend.  It is a grand and spirited country.  Remote and far away, its lands possess a stark beauty which reads as high, wide and rugged.   Brusque mountains, chiseled arroyos and high desert terrain merge to create alluring compositions in virtually every direction.  The scenes at hand grow even more inviting in the fall.  The air hangs softer and the autumnal light glows more gently, deftly blending subtle hues of azure with pale yellows, reds and gold, forming a rich patina that illuminates the surrounding vistas.  Possessed of such natural glories, the Big Bend has been a point of destination for Texas painters for as long as art has coexisted in our state, but the land seems to issue its strongest calls and beckons to Lone Star artists most profoundly in the fall. 

As fall also approaches the Bayou City, we felt it appropriate to share and celebrate the seasonal bounties of the Big Bend region with local friends and patrons. Thus, in a standout exhibition entitled The Big Bend of Texas we present the exquisite renditions of seven indigenous artists, all have been inspired to capture the beauty and character of this most distant corner of the state.  The show fetes viewers to a treasure trove of finely finished works from the studios of these stellar artists, and likewise unveils a lively selection of freshly-painted, plein-air sketches by a subgroup of these painters, all just returning from yet another sojourn to the Texas Big Bend.

The Big Bend of Texas brings together many of the most accomplished landscape artists working in this area of the state.  It includes a remarkable assemblage of paintings by Texas artists Mary Baxter (Marfa), David Caton (Utopia), Pat Gabriel (Fort Worth), Noe Perez (Corpus Christi) and Jeri Salter (Round Rock), all members of the gallery’s august society of Contemporary Texas Regionalists.  In addition, the show introduces Houstonians to the incredible, large-scale drawings of Jim Malone (Fort Worth), as well as presenting iconic imagery by well-known photographer, Michael H. Marvins (Houston). Over fifty Big Bend inspired works are on view in the exhibition.

In addition to the main installation of finished works, the gallery will also host patrons for an opening-day salon-style revealing, providing a unique exhibition within an exhibition experience, presenting (and discussing) recent plein-air paintings by four of the subject artists.  Artists Baxter, Caton, Perez and Salter will unveil and discuss their most recent cache of plein-air studies, all being Big Bend views captured in their collective painting trip scheduled there the week prior to the show’s opening.  The artists will hang and discuss these new works on opening day.  This impromptu format will afford viewers a unique opportunity to view fresh, off-the-easel renditions, as well as garner first-hand insights into the artists’ experiences with and approaches to painting the Big Bend country.

All-in-all, The Big Bend of Texas offers patrons a dramatic visual journey, beautifully accentuating the stunning qualities of this distinctive region of Texas in superbly executed artworks.  The selections underscore the extraordinary talents of the participating artists and fulfill the objective of bringing the sensations of the Big Bend to the lush fall plains of Bayou City.  It is an exhibition well worth the time of all Houstonians.  Replete with great Texas landscapes, this show will absolutely appeal to those fortunate enough to already know the delights of this distinctive sector; and for those less fortunate, it will no doubt serve to motivate them to go experience it for themselves.  Such is the beauty and influence of art!

Exhibition Dates and Special Events at WRFA

On view October 30-November 28, 2015

Collector Preview Weekend: October 30-31, 10am-5pm

Artist Event: Plein-Air Reveal, Saturday, November 7, 2-4pm

Opening Reception: Saturday, November 7, 6-8:30pm