An art form as uniquely American as jazz music, Western art has long defined the American West for audiences worldwide. Showcasing how dedicated cowboy artists are the foundation and future of Western art, The Sons of Charlie Russell: Cowboy Artists of America premiers at the Briscoe Western Art Museum May 27 – Sept. 5. Spotlighting the founding fathers of Western art alongside the Cowboy Artists of America (CAA) artists who have safeguarded the traditional style of the genre, The Sons of Charlie Russell defines a core set of criteria for what traditional Western art is.
Curated by Emily Wilson, the Curator of Art for the Briscoe, The Sons of Charlie Russell features works from 17 lenders, including the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Booth Western Art Museum, the Eddie Basha Collection, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and the Sid Richardson Museum, as well as private lenders from Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Nine of the featured works are sourced from the Briscoe’s permanent collection.
Artists Represented in the Exhibition
* Active Cowboy Artists of America Members
To mark the exhibition’s opening, the Briscoe is hosting a series of events May 26-28, followed by monthly gallery talks and art demonstrations featuring current CAA members, including the museum’s annual National Day of the Cowboy celebration on July 23.
The Sons of Charlie Russell: Cowboy Artists of America is supported in part by Jan McCaleb Elliott, the Eddie Basha Collection, Mr. and Mrs. Marrs McLean Bowman, The Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992, the Klesse Foundation, Jessica Elliott Middleton, Debbie and John T. Montford, Western Art Collector.
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Governor Dolph Briscoe and his wife Janey envisioned a Museum that would preserve the stories and traditions of the American West.