American Plains Art Show to open at Fort Concho on June 23

Longhorns and sheep, cowboys and Indians, rustlers and bandits, thunderstorms and sunsets, mountains, deserts and the Great Plains ... it’s all part of the 37th annual American Plains Artists Juried Exhibit and Sale at Fort Concho, set to open at the fort’s Quartermaster Galleries with a reception on Thursday, June 23, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Refreshments and entertainment will be provided by Dorothy Douthit and Fiddle Fire Catering. Members of the Concho Cowboy Company will drop by in their late-1800s attire. The opening is free to all, located at the fort’s far northeast corner near Burgess Street and East Avenue C.

This year’s show features 76 paintings and some sculptures by more than 50 artists from across the nation. All 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 Sunday, Aug. 7. Regular hours will be Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The show is free to all. Guests can vote for their favorite work; those receiving the most votes are invited back for a special summer show at the fort in 2023.

Founded in 1982, the American Plains Artists Association is dedicated to “highlighting the diversity of the American Plains through art.” The APA has members across the nation whose efforts in both painting and sculpture cover the vast expanses of the plains through images of “the landscape, the life, the people and the wildlife.” The organization sponsors two shows each year, in addition to workshops, scholarships, demonstrations and lectures. According to APA President Judy McElroy, “We love coming to San Angelo and Fort Concho each summer. 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.

“Over 35 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 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 many means such as art, music, living history, period sports, exhibits and lectures.

Diann Bayes, vice president of Discover San Angelo, pointed out that this exhibit supports San Angelo’s recent recognitions as a True West Magazine Number One Western Town and the Visual Arts Capital of Texas.

In addition to the regular exhibit hours, the fort will celebrate National Cowboy Day on Saturday, July 23, with a light breakfast, special talks on the exhibit and a performance by the Concho Cowboys, all from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. that day.

For more information, visit americanplainsartists.com, fortconcho.com, or call the fort at 325-481-2646.

This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: American Plains Art Show to open at Fort Concho on June 23