Texas A&M University Art Galleries Launches Texas Art Project with Inaugural Exhibition, Evocative Objects: Still Life Painting in Texas, Aug. 12–Oct. 3, 2021
The Stark Galleries hosts art exhibition and gallery talk, introducing visitors to the newly formed art series, the Texas Art Project.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, July 27, 2021 – The Texas A&M University Art Galleries announces the debut of the Texas Art Project, an initiative to bring Texas-centric arts exhibitions and programming to the state and beyond. Launching the project is the exhibition Evocative Objects: Still Life Painting in Texas, on display in the J. Wayne Stark Galleries Aug. 12–Oct. 3, 2021, with a Gallery Talk and Reception Sept. 9, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.
The exhibition examines the evolution of still life painting in Texas during the course of the 20th century and displays over 50 exceptional works of art spanning more than a century of Texas history (from around 1885–1985). The paintings showcase the works of Texas artists who were prominent during the subject period, presenting notable examples of the still life genre within the Lone Star State.
“With this exhibition, we officially launch our new Texas art venture in hopes that it will provide meaningful new contributions in art scholarship and offer pleasant, informative fine art experiences for our patrons and students,” Catherine Hastedt, director of the Texas A&M University Art Galleries, said.
The Texas Art Project, which celebrates the state’s cultural and fine arts legacy through a series of art exhibitions and educational programming, is a partnership between the Texas A&M University Art Galleries and Texas art collectors and authors, William and Linda Reaves.
As avid, early collectors of Texas art, the Reaves assisted in the development of the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA) and later operated a prominent fine arts gallery in Houston for more than a decade. Currently, they engage as independent art researchers and curators and serve as co-editors of the Joe and Betty Moore Texas Art Series at the Texas A&M University Press.
“Linda and I are especially excited about helping to bring more exposure to Texas art to the Texas A&M community,” William Reaves said. “We think that learning and knowing more about our state’s rich visual arts legacies only adds additional joy and enrichment to the experience of being a Texan. We also feel that Texas A&M and the Stark Galleries present the perfect venues for showcasing this vital aspect of our state’s cultural history.”
To facilitate the Texas Art Project, the Reaves have placed their extensive collection of Texas art on long-term loan to the university for review and research. They donated operational funding and will serve as organizers and co-curators of the Texas Art Project exhibition series.
“We are so pleased to have this opportunity to work along with the talented team at the University Art Galleries to organize a thoughtful and engaging exhibition series that can help viewers better realize the robust range, depth, and quality of art produced in our state over the years,” Linda Reaves said. “This inaugural exhibition of Texas still life paintings is an excellent beginning, demonstrating how Texas painters have addressed the still life genre over a 100-year span.”
The next exhibition in the series will open in October in the Stark Galleries and will feature impressionist works from the beginning of the 20th century.
“It is our hope that the entire series will serve to enhance fine arts opportunities for both students and the public alike,” Linda Reaves said.
Exhibitions associated with the Texas Art Project will combine paintings and prints from the Reaves’ collection, works from other private and public collections, and examples from the university’s permanent collections.
“So many individuals and institutions have been both generous and eager to loan their works to the Texas Art Project, bringing numerous Texas masterpieces to campus to benefit students and complement the university’s own permanent collections,” William Reaves said. “We can already see this as a wonderful new value-added way to expand both the resources and visibility of the university’s fine art capacities.”
A gallery talk and reception for Evocative Objects on Sept. 9 at 5:30 p.m. will feature speaker Judy Tedford Deaton, chief curator and director of exhibitions and collections at The Grace Museum in Abilene. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested by visiting TX.AG/Evocative or calling 979-845-8502.
The J. Wayne Stark Galleries is open to the public and admission is always free. The galleries are closed Mondays and University Holidays. For current hours and more information, visit uart.tamu.edu.
By Molly Painter, Texas A&M University Art Galleries, Division of Student Affairs
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Media Contact:
• Molly Painter, 979-845-8502, [email protected]