The annual American Plains Artists Juried Exhibit and Sale is kicking off Thursday in San Angelo with a reception.
“Longhorns and sheep, cowboys and Indians, rustlers and bandits, thunderstorms and sunsets, mountains, deserts, and the Great Plains – it’s all part of the annual exhibit at Fort Concho,” a news release stated.
The art exhibit will open at the fort’s Quartermaster Galleries at 630 S Oakes St. with a reception from 5:30-7 p.m on Thursday. Refreshments and entertainment will be provided at the free event.
“Members of the Concho Cowboy Company will drop by in their late 1800s attire,” the release stated.
This year’s show features 72 paintings and several sculptures by 41 artists from 12 states.
“Almost half of the artists call Texas home, but other artists come from California, Nebraska, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Wyoming and Illinois,” according to the release.
All the art is for sale with a percentage of each sale benefiting the artist, the American Plains Artists Association and Fort Concho. Any purchased work remains on display until the show closes on Aug. 4.
Regular hours will be Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sundays from 1:30-4:30 p.m. and closed on Mondays. The show is free during these times.
“Guests can vote for their favorite work and those receiving the most votes are invited back for a special summer show at the fort in 2025,” the release stated.
Founded in 1982, the American Plains Artists Association is dedicated to highlighting the diversity of the American Plains through art.
The organization sponsors two shows each year in addition to workshops, scholarships, demonstrations and lectures.
“We love coming to San Angelo and Fort Concho each summer,” APA president Judy McElroy said. “West Texans enjoy the scenes and themes our members take joy in painting and sculpting.”
Fort Concho Site Manager Bob Bluthardt noted how appropriate it is to host the group in San Angelo and to hold the show in the site’s Quartermaster Galleries.
“Forty years ago some visionary citizens created the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and renovated the Quartermaster Building as its first home,” Bluthardt said. “While the art museum has had its signature new facility on the river since 1999, we like to keep the western artistic traditions alive in the building that is so well suited for this type of show.”
Bluthardt pointed out that the fort has a long history of promoting the regional and national western heritage through art, music, living history, period sports, exhibits and lectures.
In addition to the regular exhibit hours, the fort will celebrate National Cowboy Day on July 27 from 9-10:30 a.m. with a light breakfast, special talks on the exhibit and a performance by the Concho Cowboys.
For more information, visit www.fortconcho.com, or call the fort at 325-481-2646.
