Bid on art made from a branch of the Cabinet Oak that stands at the LBJ Ranch

Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman
·3 min read
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Lyndon B. Johnson and members of the press beneath the Cabinet Oak, on July 8, 1967, at the LBJ Ranch. The tree is estimated to be 300 years old and is still standing at the ranch.
Lyndon B. Johnson and members of the press beneath the Cabinet Oak, on July 8, 1967, at the LBJ Ranch. The tree is estimated to be 300 years old and is still standing at the ranch.

A live auction Saturday at Garrison Brothers Distillery will give fans of Lyndon Baines Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson a chance to bid on art fashioned from the branch of a 300-year-old oak that stands at the LBJ Ranch. One can also bid online in advance at cbo.io/bidapp.

The proceeds will help restore and reopen the ranch's Texas White House, which has been closed for repairs since August 2018. The money will also fund an artist-in-residence program at the ranch.

Friends of the LBJ National Historical Park, a nonprofit, is staging the live Cabinet Oak Project Auction & Celebration from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on May 6 at the Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye.

Artist Catherine Lee turned her part of a Cabinet Oak branch into a minimalist sculpture that emphasizes the natural qualities of the tree. It will be auctioned online and live by the Friends of the LBJ National Historical Park through the evening of May 6.
Artist Catherine Lee turned her part of a Cabinet Oak branch into a minimalist sculpture that emphasizes the natural qualities of the tree. It will be auctioned online and live by the Friends of the LBJ National Historical Park through the evening of May 6.

Why is this LBJ Ranch tree called the Cabinet Oak?

President Johnson often invited politicians, diplomats, celebrities, journalists and heads of state to the Texas White House near Stonewall in the Hill Country.

A huge live oak tree, estimated to more than 300 years old, stands on the lawn right just outside the Johnson residence. LBJ sometimes convened his White House cabinet under the oak, hence the moniker Cabinet Oak.

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Meetings that took place in the tree's copious shade included strategy sessions to pass key legislation, including the bills to create the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Those efforts made art a natural theme for the Cabinet Oak Project.

With "Contemplation," artist Cindee Klement fashioned her part of a fallen branch from the Cabinet Oak at the Texas White House into a witty and inspirational statement about LBJ's achievements.
With "Contemplation," artist Cindee Klement fashioned her part of a fallen branch from the Cabinet Oak at the Texas White House into a witty and inspirational statement about LBJ's achievements.

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In 2019, a large branch fell from the Cabinet Oak. The Friends group saw an opportunity to support art and to help with ongoing structural and environmental improvements at the Texas White House.

The group invited 50 artists to fashion works of their choice. They came up with an extremely varied set of responses.

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Seven pieces that have received special jury awards — and one that will earn a people’s choice award — will be exhibited and auctioned at the Garrison Brothers event.

Katie Robertson, art historian and director of the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum, served as the juror.

You can still vote on the people's choice awards. All bids will close the night of May 6. Make your bids and vote at cbo.io/bidapp.

How can I see and bid on the art?

All 50 works of art will be on display at the LBJ Ranch hangar through May 31. Or one can view them online at cabinetoak.art/gallery.

Some of the projects are straightforwardly sculptural and manipulate the innate qualities of the wood. Other artists painted — minimally or extensively — on the wood. Others used parts of the oak branch as platforms for artistic attachments.

At least one, "Contemplation" by Cindee Klement, comes with a sense of humor.

Klement left her chunk of branch recognizably rough. She deftly carved a message about the Great Society, civil rights, the war on poverty, the environment and the arts on the upright log's top. There, she also balanced a cigar and hung a Stetson not unlike the ones the president wore.

In essence, Klement has turned a fallen branch into a singular piece of art adorned with uplifting words and a bit of wit.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: A branch from the Cabinet Oak at LBJ ranch is now art you can own