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  • About
        • About the Musuemdiscover the West on the River Walk
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  • Exhibitions
        • Permanent Galleriesart and artifacts from the American West
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        • New Works Gallerynew works to the museum
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        • Calendar of EventsView all the events and programs
        • Beyond the Briscoebringing the West to you
        • Events

        • Night of Artiststhe museum’s signature event
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        • Lil Partnersbring home the briscoe summer program
        • Briscoe Book Clubpoetry, fiction, and non-fiction
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At the Briscoe, we celebrate our shared heritage through art and artifacts that tell the stories of the West. The Western spirit that glows inside us all. It inspires and unites us and it’s too big to be contained. So we’re throwing open our virtual doors and taking the West Beyond the Briscoe to celebrate it and share it. Head West with us and explore our Western history and heritage, and the art that keeps those stories alive.

Wide open spaces aren’t limited by boundaries. Neither are we. After all, there’s a little cowboy or cowgirl in us all. Saddle up, hitch those wagons and hit the trail with the Beyond the Briscoe, bringing the West to life in your inbox every week and here on our website.

Thanks for joining us on the journey. We can’t wait to see you on the trail.

Click here to sign up for the newsletter

Other Ways to Stay Connected
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Week: 15- Work in the West

Making a home, making a fortune, or just finding a job — going West means work. An honest day’s work comes in many forms. The classic occupations of the cowboy and trapper define the image of life under the big sky. But the resolute pride and skillful strength they display is shared by workers across the West. This week we shine a light on “working in the West.”

Briscoe Bulletin Board

Briscoe Calendar
Sept. 4 Quarantine Date Night
Sept. 19 Locals Day at the Briscoe
Sept. 22 Briscoe Virtual Book Club
Sept. 25 VISUAL VOICES Opening Weekend

Get Your Tickets for the Visual Voices Exhibition Opening!

Our exhibitions team is hard at work installing our fall exhibition, VISUAL VOICES: Contemporary Chickasaw Art. With nearly 60 artworks by members of the Chickasaw Nation, this exhibition tells the compelling visual story about the past, present, and future of a nation.

Dustin Mater, Tushka Loksi (Warrior Turtles), 2015

Learn more in this newsletter and click here to get your tickets to the exhibition opening.

New Larger than Life Lincoln Bronze Installed in the Lobby
Lincoln was famously born in a log cabin on the early western frontier, and in many ways could be considered the first ‘Western President.’  At the time of his birth on Feb. 12, 1809, Lincoln was born farther west than any other American president until that time. His image is engraved on one of the most famous western monuments, Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. The same sculptor, Gutzom Borglum, also created the bronze bust on display at the Briscoe! Click here to read the story about his beard.

Visit the Museum for Labor Day The museum will be open from 10:00am – 3:00pm all weekend long! Educators & Health Care Heroes receive FREE admission until Labor Day (with valid ID)

Featured Piece: Cowboy Mess Camp by Oscar Berninghaus (1874–1952)

One of the most intriguing artworks in the Dolph Briscoe, Jr. Gallery is by Taos Society of Artists member Oscar Berninghaus. Painted in 1912, the piece depicts a peaceful moment for a group of cowboys at what is likely the end of a long day. Six cowboys sit contently around a small fire, eating and smoking, while a grizzled cook looks on kindly. Click here to read more.

Featured Gallery: Governor Dolph Briscoe, Jr. “Work” Gallery

The Briscoe Western Art Museum’s largest third-floor gallery, the Dolph Briscoe, Jr. Gallery, highlights the rigor and work that shaped the West. Upon entering the gallery, visitors encounter several tools of the Western trades: a series of rifles that were used throughout the nineteenth century, an old phone with a powerful message, and a bear trap, set and ready to spring. These impressive artifacts highlight the cattle trade, an industry that has been part of San Antonio for over 300 years.

How the West was Fun

Are you looking for an easy and inexpensive way to add a bit of cowboy flair to your room? Look no further! Barbed wire can help you keep out pesky critters and keep your stick ponies safely corralled.

Here’s how you can make your own.
Click here to download the instructions.

Build the West

Aermotor, “Windmill,” Tin, iron, and wood, Briscoe Museum Collection, Gift of Tex Elliott Family

The windmill in the Dolph Briscoe, Jr. Gallery is not something to be missed! It might look quaint, but these “wind engines” were innovative and technically profound in the American West. Think you can do better? Post your creation and tag @BriscoeMuseum.

Shop the West in our New Online Store!

Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art Catalog
$40
Buy Now
Original Art by Brent Learned titled
Indian Gothic
Buy Now
Briscoe Bison
Enamel Pin
$7
Buy Now
View Full Online Store Here

In the world of big wagon cattle outfits, a cook was hired more for his ability to drive a chuck wagon pulled by a team of draft horses than for his cooking skills. Chances are that when he cooked, he used “Dutch ovens.” These are cast-iron pots with lids that come in various sizes and can be used over an open fire. They are non-breakable and easy to transport.


Cobblers were never meant to be pretty. Emerging as a makeshift version of the ever-popular pie recipe circulating Europe and the United States in the 1800s, this dessert was ‘cobbled’ together by the early American settlers using fruit – usually preserved, canned, or dried – and clumps of biscuit dough before baking it over an open fire.

Campfire Cooking: Peach Cobbler
This “Do Not Stir” Cobbler recipe comes to us from a church cookbook published in Quihi, Texas. Click the play button above to see the video and ingredients.

VISUAL VOICES: Contemporary Chickasaw Art Preview Party Tickets Now on Sale

Dustin Mater, Cosmic Warrior II, Mixed media, acrylic on molded plastic, rabbit fur, deer antler, blackslip oyster shell, canvas, 11.5″x11.5″x17
Billy Hensley, Young Chickasaw Man, Acrylic on canvas, 60″x48″

Tickets to the VISUAL VOICES Preview Party are on sale now! We’re thrilled to bring this fantastic exhibition to San Antonio. Get your tickets today and be among the first to experience the array of works from contemporary Chickasaw artists. VISUAL VOICES offers abstract, experimental, celebratory, mysterious, thought-provoking, and critical works that share diverse stories. Space is limited at this safe, socially distanced preview, so don’t wait to purchase your tickets!

Purchase Tickets

Week: 14- The Music of the West

When you hear “Music of the West” what comes to mind? A lonely fiddle player or the lyrics of “Home on the Range”? How about the rhythmic beat of a tribal drum, or the airy sound of a flute? The music of the West can sound like many things and at the Briscoe, we tell those stories. This week’s Beyond the Briscoe explores the role music plays in the West. 

Briscoe Bulletin Board

Briscoe Calendar

Sept. 4 Quarantine Date Night Have a chat with local artist Gladys Roldan de Moras and a National Park Service Park Ranger on Facebook Live.
Sept. 22 Briscoe Virtual Book Club Join us on Zoom as we discuss O’Keefe by Dawn Tripp.
Sept. 25 VISUAL VOICES Open to the Public
Sept. 29 Catch Up with John Phillip Santos A widely published author, media producer, and Briscoe board member discusses how Western borders have shaped the culture, history, and art of the West via Zoom.

End of Summer Deals Educators & Health Care Heroes receive FREE admission until Labor Day (with valid ID)Become a Briscoe Member and save 10% on select levels! Click here for details.
Vote for the Briscoe!We’ve been nominated in the San Antonio Current’s 30th annual Best of San Antonio® Readers’ Choice poll for Best Museum! The polls are open through August 28 and votes can be cast daily. Click here to vote!

New Works Gallery Switch Out!

New Works Gallery Switch out August 2020
The New Works Gallery now features newly acquired works including Paul Moore’s “The Procession” and Alfredo Rodriguez’s “A Real Belly Buster” from this year’s Night of Artists. Other works are from artists Martin Grelle, William Moyers and Ray Swanson.

Featured Piece: President Benito Juarez’s Guitar

With so many artifacts illustrating the Spanish/Mexican roots of the West, one that cannot be overlooked is the guitar that was handcrafted for Mexican President Benito Juarez.

Juarez served as Mexico’s 26th president from 1858 until his death in 1872. Born into a poor Zapotec family, he overcame adversity and was the first Mexican native to attain the position. His story made him one of the nation’s most beloved leaders.

At that time, it was customary to present the incoming president with a token of the people’s support. This guitar is the object presented to Juarez and highlights his indigenous heritage and the finest craftsmanship.

Click here to read more about President Benito Juarez’s guitar.

The Music of the West Can’t be Contained in One Gallery

Although it is often spoken of in the same breath as “Country” music, “Western” is a distinct area of American popular music whose roots reach into the frontier era of the 19th century.

The Western frontier was mythologized in the popular press, and numerous songs celebrating cowboys, Native Americans, outlaws and the wonders of the western lands were written by tunesmiths who had no firsthand knowledge of the West.

In the many galleries at the Briscoe, you’ll notice a nod to music of the West. Download two activities for you to add musical fun to your next visit. 

Click here to download Musical Bingo.
Click here to download Musical Match-Up.

How the West was Fun

The banjo is one of the most recognizable instruments associated with country music. In early recordings and broadcasts of country music, the banjo brought not only its distinctive finger-picked sounds, but also its African and minstrel connotations. 

The banjo is one of the most recognizable instruments associated with country music. In early recordings and broadcasts of country music, the banjo brought not only its distinctive finger-picked sounds, but also its African and minstrel connotations. 

Click here to learn how to build your own banjo at home!

Build the West

Bruce Greene, A Cowboy’s Carnegie Hall, Bronze, 19″x13.75″x13.75″

We LOVE this sculpture that’s out in our McNutt Sculpture Garden. This week our LEGO® Master chose one of our most iconic symbols of “Music of the West”. Think you can do better? Post your creation and tag @BriscoeMuseum.

Shop the West in our New Online Store!

Briscoe Navy Water Bottle
Buy Now
Angle of Repose by Mark Maggiori Limited Edition Print
Buy Now
Briscoe Pink Bison Cap
Buy Now
View Full Online Store Here

The Making of a Native American Fine Art Flute by Tim Blueflint
The music of the West isn’t limited to one sound or song. Tim Blueflint (Chippewa/Comanche) draws his creative and musical influence from the memories and stories shared by his family and those who have graced his life. A self-taught musician and artist, Blueflint has shared his improvisational traditional music, art and memories as a featured performer at venues throughout Indian Country and beyond.

Check out this video about the making of a Native American Fine Art Flute by Tim Blueflint.

VISUAL VOICES: Contemporary Chickasaw Art Preview Party Tickets Now on Sale

Tickets to the VISUAL VOICES Preview Party are on sale now! We’re thrilled to bring this fantastic exhibition to San Antonio. Get your tickets today and be among the first to experience the array of works from contemporary Chickasaw artists. VISUAL VOICES offers abstract, experimental, celebratory, mysterious, thought provoking, and critical works that tell share diverse stories. Space is limited at this safe, socially distanced preview, so don’t wait to purchase your tickets!

Purchase Tickets

Dustin Mater, Cosmic Warrior II, Mixed media, acrylic on molded plastic, rabbit fur, deer antler, blackslip oyster shell, canvas, 11.5″x11.5″x17
Billy Hensley, Young Chickasaw Man, Acrylic on canvas, 60″x48″

Week: 13- Conserving our Lands

It’s HOT in South Texas and we can’t be the only ones feeling the heat. While it’s tempting to turn on the water hose each day, being mindful of our resources is extremely important for now and for generations to come. In this Beyond the Briscoe we discuss conservation, nature in Western art and we even explore ways to make a difference in the world.

Briscoe Bulletin Board

Mark Your Calendar Locals Day – August 15 Locals receive 50% off general admission. Click here for details.
National Park Service Virtual Event – September 5 Have a chat with local artist Gladys Roldan de Moras and a park ranger! More information to come.

End of Summer Deals Educators & Health Care Heroes receive FREE admission until Labor Day (with valid ID)
Vote for the Briscoe! We’ve been nominated in the San Antonio Current’s 30th annual Best of San Antonio® Readers’ Choice poll for Best Museum! The polls are officially open now through July 11. Click here to vote!

New Installations

  • Legal document signed by William B. Travis in the A-Tex Elliott Family Gallery.
  • “Great Blue Heron Pair” by Walter Matia located on the River Walk.

Featured Piece: Windmill

The ubiquitous windmill is an icon of the West. The prairie winds turned the blades that turned the pump that brought water up from the sweet aquifers beneath the earth. The rhythm of the blades and the pump set the pace of the day and brought life to the thirsty land.

Watch a fantastic video about why windmills are so important to the West! Press play below.

Windmills and Water at the Briscoe Western Art Museum

Featured Gallery: Mezzanine

The works in the Mezzanine Gallery depict the Southwestern landscape, the Native peoples of the region, and prominent artists who shaped the genre and those who continue to leave their mark today.  

Exploring this gallery and the breadth of its works gives visitors a sense of the diversity that makes the Southwest such an engaging region. The regional features include vast canyons, more than a mile deep, red-rock mesas and arches, and spectacular mountains with cacti growing at their bases and snow on their peaks.
To keep reading, click here.

How the West was Fun

We’ve partnered with The East Foundation to share how you can create a field journal. When students participate in field lessons on East Foundation ranches, they gain a deeper understanding of why and how we ranch and conduct science on our lands. This lesson from The East Foundation’s “Stewarding Texas Curriculum”, developed in partnership with Texas Wildlife Association, encourages students to analyze and interpret their surroundings.

Making a Field Journal with The East Foundation

Check out the video with The East Foundation’s educator Masi Mejia and submit your observations by posting it to social media and tagging @BriscoeMuseum and @EastFoundation.

Download the activity by clicking here.
Lil Partners Story Time: The Desert is Theirs by Byrd Baylor
You may think of the desert as a harsh, dry place where no one would ever want to live — but think again! The Desert People know. So do the animals. Both love the land, and share the feeling of being brothers in the desert, of being desert creatures together. Watch Museum Educator Anna Brown read The Desert is Theirs by Byrd Baylor.

Build the West

Howard Post, Feed in the Canyon, Oil on Canvas, 33″x39″, Briscoe Museum Collection, Gift of John T. Montford and Debbie Montford.

“We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” —Native American proverb
This week our LEGO® Master created something to remind us how amazing our world is. Think you can do better? Post your creation and tag @BriscoeMuseum.

Shop the West in our New Online Store!

Briscoe Branded Bandana
$8
Buy Now
Greeting the West Print by Mark Maggiori
$795
Buy Now
2020 Briscoe
Fiesta Medal
$10
Buy Now
View Full Online Store Here

What is a xeriscape? “Xeris” is a Greek word meaning dry. Xeriscape refers to a low maintenance landscape that conserves water and protects the environment. Across the United States, nearly nine billion gallons of water are used each day for landscape irrigation. As water conservation becomes increasingly important, you may be interested in learning how you can use less water in your own yard. We’ve included step-by-step instructions on how to make your xeriscape dream a reality!

View the instructions by clicking here.

A Look at Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art Opening September 25

Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art Touring Exhibition
Opening on September 25, this stunning exhibition features nearly 60 artworks of present-day Chickasaw painters, potters, sculptors, metalsmiths and weavers. Visual Voices conveys a beautiful and compelling contemporary visual story that you won’t want to miss!

Week: 12- Night of Artists

his week’s Beyond the Briscoe showcases our special exhibition, Night of Artists. Closing this Sunday, July 26, the wide range of artworks and artist genres included in Night of Artists reflects the vastness of the great American West. From scenic landscapes, inspired Native Americans and classic cowboys to stunning wildlife and detailed portraiture, Night of Artists includes something for every art enthusiast to enjoy.

Featured Gallery: Night of Artists

Night of Artists, in many ways, laid the foundation for the Briscoe Western Art Museum and all it has become. From its early beginnings to the present it is a show that has grown into a truly beautiful and fitting celebration of Western art and culture.

While we look back fondly on Night of Artists’ last 19 years and the way it has engrained itself into the heart of San Antonio; we also look forward with anticipation to what the next 20 years will bring. Click here to read more.

Exhibition Highlights: Night of Artists Award Winners

With over 300 works in Night of Artists, selecting the winners of this year’s awards was a challenge in more ways than one. The Sam Houston and James Bowie Awards represent “Best in Show” recognition, chosen by the Briscoe’s Art Selection Committee, an anonymous panel of Western art collectors and enthusiasts who are deeply involved with the museum. The David Crockett and William B. Travis awards are selected by fellow artists and show patrons.

Briscoe Museum Purchase Award &
James Bowie Award for Sculpture:
Paul Moore
The Procession
Bronze, 52″x35.5″x13″
Sam Houston Award for Painting:
Martin Grelle
Wolves in Blue
Oil on linen, 40”x36”
David Crockett Award for Artists’ Choice:
Brent Cotton
“Search Party”
Oil, 32″x32″
Available
William B. Travis Award for Patrons’ Choice:
Brent Cotton
“While the Iron is Hot”
Oil, 16″x20

How the West was Fun

Have you ever looked up to the sky and noticed just how amazing clouds are? They can change colors, create beautiful formations, and you can play I-Spy while watching them! Using inspiration from the painting Solo Cloud, create your own landscape featuring a big, fluffy cloud. Download the craft here.

Caroline Korbell Carrington, Solo Cloud, Oil on canvas

Bring Home the Briscoe With Lil Partner Take-Home Kits

Bring the West home with these fun art and activity kits! Great for kids and grandkids ages 5-11. $20 Members | $25 Non-Members per kit or $75 Member | $90 Non-member for all four. Arrange a contactless “river side” pick up at the Briscoe, or have them shipped to your favorite young cowpoke as the perfect surprise.

Click to Purchase a Kit

Build the West

John Tulane, Eagle Offering Dancer

This week we used something from our collection. You heard that right, our collection! Think you can do better? Post your creation on social media and use the hashtag #BuildtheWest! This lego sculpture can be found in our Clingman Education Gallery.

We participated in the #MuseumChallenge with Alfredo Rodriguez’s Belly Busters. This beautiful painting is part of this year’s Night of Artists. Come see it for yourself and meet some of the characters from our live action shot.

Click here to watch the video come to life.Think you can do it better? Post your Western #MuseumChallenge on social media and don’t forget to tag @BriscoeMuseum!

Opening This Fall Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art

Brent Greenwood, Gathering Medicine, Acrylic on canvas, 40″x30
Kristen Dorsey, Panther Hair Comb, Fine Silver, 14K diamond, labradorite, 60″x6.25″
Bill Hensley, Young Chickasaw Man, Acrylic on canvas, 60″x48″

Week: 11- Live the Cowboy Life

This week’s Beyond the Briscoe talks about living the cowboy way with gear like spurs and saddles. Meet two amazing cowboys, both famous in their own way, read more about our Roy Rogers Saddle currently on view and have fun with our boot activity. 

Around 1950, Roy purchased the Music Saddle, one of the most elaborate silver mounted saddles of all-time, for the record price of $50,000. This saddle was made in the early 1930s for a woman named Mrs. Music. It took 16 craftsmen six months to craft it. It is reportedly adorned with 1,400 ounces of silver, 136 ounces of gold and hundreds of rubies. 

Featured Piece: Roy Roger’s Music Saddle

This saddle comes to the Briscoe Western Art Museum as a loan from Juliana Hawn Holt. Credit for the saddle’s craftsmanship goes to John E. McCabe and J. P. Davis.

Featured This Week: San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Spurs and Saddles Gallery

Few items were as important to a cowboy as his saddle. Riding for any great distance required a fine saddle that could hold up to hard use, exposure to all kinds of weather, and not harm the horse wearing it.Another key tool in cowboy life is the spur. Archeological records date spurs back to the first century B.C. and the Roman Republic. Spurs were a mark of honor in the Middle Ages—a knight “earned his spurs” to indicate his prowess on horseback.

Click here to read more about spurs.
Click here to read more about saddles.

How the West was Fun

The history of the cowboy boot has been long debated, as many people and places have claimed the iconic footwear’s origins, and many different versions of the boot have existed. It has been said that one of these pointed-toe iterations was originally brought to the Americas by the Spanish to aid in horseback riding.

Click here to download the full craft.

The ABCs to Ranching by Patty York Raymond is a humorous account of a mischievous young boy determined to help his father with the chores. With one mishap after another, the young boy develops an appreciation for nature and a strong connection to his father and their heritage — all centered on the alphabet.

Bring Home the Briscoe With Lil Partner Take-Home Kits Bring the West home with these fun art and activity kits! Great for kids and grand-kids ages 5-11. $20 Members | $25 Non-Members per kit or $75 Member | $90 Non-member for all four. Arrange a contactless “river side” pick up at the Briscoe, or have them shipped to your favorite young cowpoke as the perfect surprise.

Click Here to Purchase a Kit

Build the West

Our Master Lego Builder is back and he created something fabulous! The #BuildtheWest Challenge got a little more tricky this week with a moving spur. Think you can do better? Post your creation on social media and use the hashtag #BuildtheWest!

Meet two cowboys that have embraced the Western way of life through their “art”.

Bill Pickett grew up in Texas in the 1880s, the child of former slaves, to become nationally famous as the star of the 101 Ranch Wild West Show.
Pickett was associated with such western figures as Tom Mix, Will Rogers, Milt Hinkle, and Lucille Mulhall, and earned a reputation as an all around cowboy of legendary abilities. His greatest claim to fame is as the originator of steer wrestling, the only rodeo event traced to one individual.
TD Kelsey
T.D. Kelsey grew up on a small ranch near Bozeman, Montana. While he was never encouraged to become an artist, he rodeoed for many years in rough stock events and team roping. Following that T.D. trained and showed cutting horses for several years.for several years then worked as a commercial pilot for United Airlines until he resigned to dedicate himself full-time to art. His work can be found in many private collections, the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, and the
Briscoe Western Art Museum.

Week: 10- Living the West

In this week’s Beyond the Briscoe, we dive into the world of traveling Westward with our activities, gallery features, and Lil Partners Story Time. There were many reasons to travel West and most methods of travel took a degree of grit, determination, and a real cowboy spirit. 

The chuckwagon was originally developed by Charles Goodnight as a way to mobilize a kitchen for long cattle drives. The wagons were modeled after heavy military wagons to endure the rugged landscape, and outfitted with a “chuckbox” to hold ingredients, cookware, and anything else the cook might need. The camp “cookie” had total control over the chuckwagon, and a good cook was an asset most cowboys looked for in an outfit. In 2003, the chuckwagon was named the official Texas state vehicle. 

Click here to watch the chuckwagon video.

Featured Piece: Chuckwagon

Featured This Week: Governor Dolph Briscoe, Jr. Gallery

During the 19th Century, more than a million square miles of land west of the Mississippi River was acquired by the United States federal government. This led to a widespread migration West. Travelers headed West in covered wagons and on horseback, most set out on their journey for the promise of economic opportunities and a better life out West.

How the West was Fun: The use of butter dates back much earlier than the days of the cattle trails, but it is true that no real chuck wagon dinner would be complete without it. Most of us know butter as a “stick” or packed into a tub, but it wasn’t always that way. Butter-making, back then was a chore to accomplish about every other week. Pails of milk would sit out until the fat rose up to the top and was skimmed off. Cream would then be saved until a large enough quantity was available to churn into butter. Haven’t we come a long way?

Click here to learn how to make your own!

Click here to watch a video about the Wells Fargo Stagecoach!

Lil Partners Story Time: Grab your wide-brimmed hat, chaps, and spurs–let’s round ’em up and move ’em along! The cowboys of the West are going on a cattle drive! For this week’s Little Partners Story Time, Anna reads Cowboys & Cowgirls Yippee-Yay! By Gail Gibbons.

Build the West:

The #BuildtheWest Challenge shakes it up this week with a new activity. This week we’ve created a Stop Motion video. Create your very own video at home inspired by the West! Post your creation on social media and use the hashtag #BuildtheWest!

Click here for activity directions.

You have seen cowboys don a bandana in films, books, and often times, in real life on a ranch. Cowboys and vaqueros tie bandanas around their neck and face to help protect them from the hot sun and dusty trails. Now you can work and play like a cowboy/vaquero by wearing your very own cowboy bandana. 

Click here to learn how to apply crafty drawings and tie it the cowboy way.

Week: 9- Native American Culture

 In this week’s Beyond the Briscoe, we discuss the vital role that Native Americans played in shaping the West.

Featured Piece: How Many More by Blair Buswell

The figure in “How Many More” is quite an interesting one, and Buswell has clearly gone to great lengths to create a historically accurate rendering of an older individual from a Plains tribe. The buckskins and feathers indicate this individual is representative of Native person from the 19th century. The paint on his face and the pipe tomahawk in his hand would suggest he had been a warrior in his younger days. However, with those days passed the figure seems to both remember his past and see what lies ahead for other members of his tribe. 

Click here to keep reading.

Blair Buswell, How Many More, Bronze, Purchased with funds provided by the Jack and Valerie Guenther Foundation

Featured This Week: The Mezzanine Gallery

To Native peoples and to generations of newcomers who have settled here, the West is home: a place to care for, to observe, and sustain. Art is a window into our dreams. What we make with them is up to us. 

Click here to learn more about the Taos Society of the Artists

How the West was Fun: George Levi is a Southern Cheyenne artist who uses his artwork to demonstrate his passion for his Native American roots. Levi is well-versed in multiple types of Native American artwork, including beadwork, War Bonnets and rawhide, but he spoke with Arts District about his Ledger Art. Popular in the 19th century, the form utilized pages of record books to depict then daily life: ceremonies, hunting and battle scenes.

Click here to download an Arapaho Coloring sheet.
Click here to download a Cheyenne Coloring sheet.

Lil Partners Story Time: For this week’s Little Partners Story Time, Anna reads The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomie dePaula. In spring, the hills and meadows of Texas and Wyoming are ablaze with the reds, oranges, and yellows of the Indian Paintbrush. How this striking plant received its name is told in an old Indian legend.

Build the West:

Martin Grellen, Gathering Storm, Oil on canvas, Gift of the Jack and Valerie Guenther Foundation

 The #BuildtheWest Challenge continues! Each week our master LEGO® builder creates something inspired by the West! Think you can do it better? Post your creation on social media and use the hashtag #BuildtheWest!

Frybread appears to be nothing more than fried dough—like an unsweetened funnel cake, but thicker and softer, full of air bubbles and reservoirs of grease—but it is revered by some as a symbol of Native pride and unity.

Click here to learn more about the tradition and how to make it.

Week: 8- The McNutt Sculpture Garden

Featured Piece: Water Through Time by Dunis Studios

The mural broadly depicts the history and role of water in San Antonio. Stylistically, it mirrors the San Jose tiles found throughout the area and echoes the mural tradition of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) era. Each tile (385 total) is hand cast, hand-painted, and fired multiple times.

Dunis Studios, Water Through Time, 2013, ceramic tile mural located in the McNutt Courtyard & Sculpture Garden

Featured This Week: The McNutt Sculpture Garden

The Briscoe’s collection extends beyond the museum’s walls to include bronze sculptures throughout its historic footprint. The museum and the McNutt Sculpture Garden offer an oasis on the banks of the River Walk that showcases Western art in an inviting courtyard overseen by iconic figures of the American West. The lush greenery, native flora, and impressive works by the country’s leading Western artists bring the beauty of the West to life.

Click here to view the online tour on our mobile app.
Click here to view the works on our website.

First watch Chris Hunt, featured artist in Night of Artists, take you through a few tips for creating your very own sculpture, then make your own! The Briscoe has fabulous take-home sculpture kits for sale in our museum store. Reach out here to learn how to get yours today.

Build the West:

The #BuildtheWest Challenge continues! Each week our master LEGO® builder creates something inspired by the West! Think you can do it better? Post your creation on social media and use the hashtag #BuildtheWest!

The McNutt Sculpture Garden is home to some stunning horticulture. Native plants grow among the beautiful bronzes around our garden, now it’s time to find out what you can find in yours! We created this BINGO card for you and your family to have when going on an adventure at the park or even in your backyard to see what you can find.

Submit photos from your Bingo card via email here for a chance to win a prize!

Week: 7- Housed in History

Featured Image: Camino de Galvez by T.D. Kelsey
Along the river, you’re greeted by an immense bronze sculpture of a vaquero driving three long-horned steers up the riverbank. The vaquero pushes the cattle along with a sharp crack of his rawhide lariat. This double-life-sized work was created by the cowboy sculptor T. D. Kelsey and is titled Camino de Gálvez. Find out why the placement and theme of this sculpture are quite appropriate to the history of San Antonio as well as the mission of The Briscoe Western Art Museum.

Featured This Week: The Briscoe Building
Nestled on the banks of the San Antonio River Walk, the museum’s main building served as San Antonio’s original public library in the 1930s. The building was home to the Hertzberg Circus Collection and Museum in the 1980s. After an extensive renovation to restore the building’s original beauty and splendor, the Briscoe Western Art Museum opened in 2013.
A branch of the San Antonio Public Library is featured on the first floor, honoring the building’s origins. The museum is named in honor of Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe, Jr., and his wife Janey Slaughter Briscoe, who envisioned a museum that would share the story of Western heritage and the people behind that story.

How the West was Fun: As the first public library here in San Antonio, there’s one thing that there’s never been a shortage of within the walls of the building and that’s paper. To pay homage to the building’s original purpose, we wanted to teach you how creating paper is easy! Click here to download the paper making instructions.

Lil Partners Story Time: This week we read “Rosita’s Bridge” written by Mary McMillan Fisher and illustrated by Barbara Mathews Whitehead. Rosita Fernandez, born in Mexico and the ninth of 16 children, was adapting to a new home north of the Rio Grande in San Antonio, Texas.

Build The West:

The #BuildtheWest Challenge continues! Each week our master LEGO® builder creates something inspired by the West! Think you can do it better? Post your creation on social media and use the hashtag #BuildtheWest! The story behind this week’s #BuildtheWest: Visions of Change by Michael Coleman was one of the first pieces of art brought into the building. In order to fit the massive bronze that sits in the lobby of the museum, the doors were taken off the hinges and it was lifted in by crane after the Native American that sits on top of the bronze was removed.

This week we got a different kind of submission for #BuildtheWest! One of our fans created the Briscoe Western Art Museum in Minecraft. Check out this awesome video to take a look at the outside of the building and the first floor, including Visions of Change and our Wells Fargo Stagecoach.

The Cowboy Way: DIY Museum Gallery

Ever wonder what it takes to make our galleries look perfect? We leave it to the professionals! Now our Exhibition Manager, Jason Kirkland, is going to take you step by step to curating your very own gallery at home!

Click here to download the instructions.

Week 6 – Wildlife

Featured Image: Western artists have gravitated toward the theme of the solitary bison since the near extinction of the animal. When you walk through the doors of the Briscoe, it’s hard to miss the buffalo nickles on the decorative molding in the lobby and the bison within the “O” of Briscoe. Greg Beecham, a well-known wildlife artist that participates in Night of Artists each year, created this piece. But why August Rumblings?

Click here to read more about this piece.
Greg Beecham, August Rumblings, Oil on linen, Purchased with funds provided by Kim Lewis.

Featured Gallery: The landscape and wildlife of the American West are the stuff of legend. San Antonio sits at a “continental divide” as a gateway to the American West and is considered a crossroads between the more humid East and the drier West.

How the West was Fun: Texas is a permanent and migratory home to thousands of incredible birds. You can even find a few in your backyard. Grab the family and head outside for this fun bird scavenger hunt!   
Click here to download our backyard birding checklist.

Lil Partners Story Time

Build The West

The Cowboy Way

Every good cowboy or cowgirl needs a good pair of binoculars. You can create a pair with items you have at your house, and if you follow our steps, you’ll be upcycling!  

Click here to download the instructions.

Week 5 – Fandango

Featured Image: Fandango is a mystery: the author and title are both unknown. The detailed scene shows a Fandango, a vibrant, improvised community folk music celebration. Originating from Veracruz Mexico, Fandango musicians perform San Jarocho music using string and percussion instruments that can be recognized by today’s audience from the classic song “La Bamba”.
Click here to read more about Fandango.

Featured Gallery: The Guerra family landed in Veracruz, Nueva Espana just 87 years after Cortez sailed to the new world. Their namesake gallery tells the story of the lasting legacy of the Hispanic culture in the West through beautiful art and artifacts.

How The West Was Fun:

Beautiful, bright and colorful, papel picado makes every occasion a celebration. Add this traditional Mexican handcraft to your Mother’s Day special by making homemade papel picado.

Watch the Craft in America segment about local artist Kathleen Trenchard.

#BuildtheWest:

How the West was Fun:

If you’re enjoying an at home Fandango with your “quaranteam”, be sure to add ice cold margaritas! Our friends at Visit San Antonio helped us with this week’s recipe featuring two of San Antonio’s greatest margaritas.

Week 4 – Texas Art

Featured Image: Autumn Landscapes by Julian Onderdonk
The West is a conglomeration of many geographic landscapes, cultures, languages, and histories. It can be hard to sense where regional art ends and Western art begins. San Antonio native Julian Onderdonk’s depictions of fields full of the state flower forged an entirely new sub-genre of Texas art. Click here to read more about Onderdonk.

Featured Gallery: At the core of Western art are the stories that artists create about life and culture in the American West. Women are a vital part of the regional narrative. Click here to view a tour of the gallery.

How the West was Fun:  Driving through the Texas Hill Country on a beautiful spring day, you’ll see the stunning blue of our state flower, the bluebonnet. Keep that memory forever by creating your very own bluebonnet masterpiece!
Click here to download the instructions.

Did you know: The bluebonnet was selected as the state flower in 1901 trumping the cotton boll and the cactus flower as competition?

Lil Partners Story Time:

Build the West:

The Cowboy Way:

Week 3 – Women of the West

Featured Image: While social distancing might be a challenge for some, artists like Georgia O’Keeffe reveled in solitude, producing amazing work from her time spent in the mountains of New Mexico. Through her sixty-year exploration of Western landscapes themes in her work, O’Keeffe became one of the greatest and best known Western artists. 
Click here to read more about Georgia.

Featured Gallery: At the core of Western art are the stories that artists create about life and culture in the American West. Women are a vital part of the regional narrative. Click here to view a tour of the gallery.

Remembering Glenna Goodacre: Here at the Briscoe, we were incredibly sad to hear about artist Glenna Goodacre’s passing away last week. Her work highlighted many of the overlooked figures in history and captured moments of true joy. We pay homage to a spectacular artist whose art is a permanent fixture of the museum collection. Click here to learn more about Glenna’s contributions to Western Art.

How the West was Fun: Get hands on and start sculpting like artists at the Briscoe! extensive collection contains hundreds of artworks cast in bronze depicting bison, cattle, broncos, and cowboys. By gathering simple materials from home, you can create your own longhorn sculpture to join the herd. Get inspired by the artists we know and love, and follow these steps to get started: Click here to download the instructions.

Lil Partners Story Time

Build the West:

We’re excited to launch the #BuildtheWest Challenge! Each week our master Lego builder will create something inspired by the West and share it with you! Think you can do it better? Post your creation on social media and use the hashtag #BuildtheWest!

The Cowboy Way: The name Texas is derived from the word “teyshas”, meaning friends or allies, from the native American Caddo language. In the 1540s Spanish explorers took “teyshas” to be a tribal name, recording it as Teyas or Tejas. Now is the perfect time to make and mail friendship bracelets to your “teyshas”! Click here to download step by step directions.

Virtual Backgrounds from the Briscoe
No matter where you are, get in the saddle and Zoom from the West with these beautiful backgrounds featuring the Briscoe. Click the image and download and use them with your favorite video conference application.

DOWNLOAD: Click to name of the image you’d like to save, it will open in a new window. Once the window is open, right click or hold the image to save as.

  • River
  • Bronco
  • Ceiling
  • John Wayne
  • Stagecoach

Week 2 – Remember the Alamo

Featured Image: The Alamo Diorama, King & Country (Maker), 2013, Wood, tin, resin, and painted and textured Styrofoam, Purchased with funds provided by Mark E. Watson, Jr.

Play I SPY with our Featured Image:
I SPY is a guessing game where one player (the spy or it) chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…”, naming the first letter of the object. Play with others as they attempt to guess what you see. Click here to play.

Featured Gallery: A- Gallery Tex Elliott Family located on the third floor of the museum. Of all the galleries in the Briscoe Western Art Museum, none are more frequently visited than this gallery. Also known as the “Conflict Gallery,” this relatively small space in the museum attracts more school groups than any other. Click here to learn more about the gallery.

How the West was Fun:

Create your very own version of our Alamo diorama in your home! Though we know what the battle of the Alamo looked like through firsthand accounts, let your imagination run wild. Follow these simple steps using what you have around the house to create your very own version of history.  Click here to download the instructions

The Cowboy Way: Let’s go back in time to the battle of the Alamo in 1836. Similar to our reality in 2020, the people in San Antonio who fled to the Alamo were faced with an enormous challenge. Men, women and children sought shelter in order to stay safe from the world outside. Gathered in the Alamo, they talked, prayed, played music, and used what they had to prepare meals. While they did not have modern amenities, they persevered with what they had on hand.  Click here to download instructions.

Build the West:

We’re excited to launch the #BuildtheWest Challenge! Each week our master Lego builder will create something inspired by the West and share it with you! Think you can do it better? Post your creation on social media and use the hashtag #BuildtheWest!

Virtual Tour: Scenes from the Alamo

The artist Kim Wiggins puts a new spin on an old scene! Find out how this piece becomes part of a “modern West” here.
  • Meet the artist Kenny McKenna here.
  • Fact or Fiction: Did Colonel Travis really draw a line in the sand? Find out here.

Week 1 – Pop Art
goes Western

This weeks theme is Pop Art in the form of Western art.

Featured Image: Billy Schenck, Throwing a Loop, Oil on canvas
Click here for the blog entry.

Featured Gallery: Night of Artists is a true representation of what Western art is today. The two subcategories, traditional and modern can be seen throughout the exhibition on the second and third floors of the Jack Guenther Pavilion and virtually on our website.
Click here to view our online gallery

How the West was Fun: Coloring Sheets featuring modern Western artists Billy Schenck and Logan Maxwell Hagege. Click on the titles of the works to open in a new window and print.

  • Logan Maxwell Hagege, Red White and Blue
  • Logan Maxwell Hagege, Arizonaland Drawing
  • Logan Maxwell Hagege, A Day in the West
  • Billy Schenck, Berkley #3
  • Billy Schenck, La Vida Loca
  • Billy Schenck
    “Berkley #3”
    Oil
    24″x24″
  • Billy Schenck
    “La Vida Loca”
    Oil
    24″x36″

More About the Artists in the Craft: The question of what is Western art is always complex.  Though most commonly identified with realistic representations of cowboys and Native Americans, modernists who found inspiration in the landscape and the issues that threaten it have also found meaningful ways to express their sense of identity within the West. One of those ways has been through the lens of Pop art.
Click here to read the blog entry.

The Cowboy Way: It’s Cowboy Coffee, the modern way! While you’re spending some time at home, learn how they made a “cup of joe” on the open range. Watch the video and let us know how your coffee turned out by posting on social media! Tag @BriscoeMuseum and use the hashtags #TheWestStartsHere and #CowboyCoffee

This program is made possible with funding from Humanities Texas and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal CARES Act. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Engage with art and artifacts in new ways: access contextual images, watch short videos, learn more about artists.

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