Museum of the Southwest, South Wing Galleries, Midland, TX

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Text taken from the saved copy (where a page was only an image, it was machine-read and may contain errors — check against the page image before quoting). Copyright remains with the original publisher; kept for the historical record.

Archived copy for research · saved for the Matt Sesow Career Chronicle, history.sesow.com, October 17, 2026
Title: South Wing Gallery exhibitions, 2005
Publisher: Museum of the Southwest, Midland, TX
Date: 2005 (archived February 9, 2005)
Original URL: http://museumsw.org/Art/GallerySW.html
Also at: https://web.archive.org/web/20050209230637/http://museumsw.org:80/Art/GallerySW.html
Why it matters: The museum's own page for the South Wing Galleries lists Revelations and Reflections of American Self Taught
Artists, April 7 – May 25, 2005.
Copyright remains with the original publisher. Reproduced for reference and scholarship; contact sesow@sesow.com with any
request.

SOUTHWING GALLERY - Rotating Exhibits
Collections/Christmas @ the Mansion
November 22 - December 31, 2004
The Museum of the Southwest’s 7th annual holiday celebration of
family and treasured memories will once again feature holiday
decorations throughout each room, designer trees, special lunches,
teas, choirs, gingerbread houses, a Christmas shop, Santa Claus, and
much more. The Southwest Express will honor and celebrate our
collective memories of Midland in days gone by as several model trains
make the rounds on a custom-designed 200 square foot layout. The
littlest museum patrons will be entertained by an elaborate Playmobil
exhibit featuring “Thomas the Train Engine”and optical lighting effects.
Christmas at the Mansion is free to the public but donations are
greatly appreciated.

Light from the Sky: A Tom Lea Retrospective, 1907-2001
January 28 - March 13, 2005
Renowned Texas artist, Tom Lea (1907-2001) packed a lot of art, and a
lot of life, into his ninety-three years as a painter, muralist, illustrator
and author. Except for a body of work done while he was a World War
II correspondent, Lea's oeuvre depicts, in both images and words, the
austere beauty of the American Southwest and its stalwart inhabitants.
Although Lea was a living legend in his native Texas by the time he
reached 50, his fierce artistic independence and his disdain for
personal homage and publicity rendered him largely unknown beyond
his home state.

Revelations and Reflections of American Self Taught
Artists
April 7 – May 25, 2005
Spirituality, a major theme in art for as long as humans have made art,
is given accessible and vibrant expression by American self-taught
artists, who come from all walks of life and from all regions of the
country. Free of the constraints of formal instruction and artistic
affiliation, the "tie that binds" these inspired individuals is an inner drive
to represent heaven and hell, and angels, devils, and demons—the
demons of society and those within their own hearts. Religious themes
and imagery are often found in the work of self-taught artists. For many
of them, religious fervor is what initially impelled them to create. Some
describe their work as a gift from God and try to use it to get their
message out, as if from a pulpit.
The Reverend Howard Finster is undoubtedly America's best-known
self-taught artist, who took up artistic pursuits as a result of a religious
impulse. He began creating religious paintings on found materials at
the age of 60 and produced thousands of works until his death in 2001.
The exhibit also includes works by Howard Finster’s son Michael and
daughter Annie together with works by artists such as: Leroy Almon,
Sr., Johnny Banks, Michael Banks, Eddie Breen, Brian Dowdall, Minnie
Evans, Woodie Long, Frank Pickle, Lorenzo Scott, Annie Tolliver,
Myrtice West and Purvis Young. The exhibit features 66 works.

Contemporary Art From the Collection of the Museum of
the Southwest.
June 10 - August 21, 2005
A survey of selected contemporary works from the collection of the
Museum of the Southwest including the Barrett Collection. The Barrett
Collection is comprised of 15 works by Texas artists in a variety of
media; and was a 2003 gift to the Museum from the Museum of Fine
Arts, Houston. The Barrett collection encompasses representations of
the Texas landscape, figurative works, spiritual and symbolic works,
and examples of and Post-Modernism testifing to the vigor and vitality
of the art of our great state. Among the more established artists
included are Barnaby Fitzgerald, Gail Siptak, James Cobb, and Dee
Wolff.

Sea to Shining Sea
September 15 – October 30, 2005
In the past several years a number of group projects called “Paint
Outs” or “Plein Aire Events”, have emerged as central to the
contemporary American Realist and Impressionist painting movements.
In the wake of the events of September 11, a group of artists decided

to organize an exhibition that would focus upon life in America and
include landscape genre, and figurative painting in either a realist or
impressionist mode. The participating fifty artists would themselves be
a reflection of America, representing various ethnic and racial
backgrounds as well as different regions of the United States. Each
would supply two works—one from one of three planned Plein Aire
sessions (New York’s Hudson River Valley, Ground Zero, Monterey
Peninsula of California, and/or St. Louis, Missouri); the other a studio
work reflecting life in each of the artist’s home communities. The exhibit
features 100 paintings.

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MUSEUM OF THE SOUTHWEST
Juliette and Fred Turner, Jr. Memorial Gallery • Marian Blakemore Planetarium • Fredda Turner Durham Children’s Museum

Revelations and Reflections
of American Self Taught Artists
April 7 – May 25, 2005

South Wing Galleries

S

pirituality, a major theme in art for
as long as humans have made art, is
given accessible and vibrant
expression by American self-taught
artists, who come from all walks
of life and from all regions
of the country. Free of the
constraints of formal
instruction and artistic
affiliation, the “tie that
binds” these inspired
individuals is an inner
drive to represent heaven and hell, and
angels, devils, and
demons
— the
demons
of society and
those within their own
hearts. Religious themes and imagery
are often found in the work of self-taught
artists. For many of them, religious fervor
is what initially impelled them to create.
Some describe their work as a gift from
God and try to use it to get their message

out, as if from a pulpit.
The Reverend Howard Finster is
undoubtedly America's best-known selftaught artist, who took up artistic pursuits as a result of a religious impulse. He
began creating religious paintings on
found materials at the age of 60 and produced thousands of works

er, with works by artists such as: Leroy
Almon, Sr., Johnny Banks; Michael
Banks, Eddie Breen, Brian Dowdall,
Minnie Evans, Woodie Long, Frank
Pickle, Lorenzo Scott, Annie Tolliver,
Myrtice West, and Purvis Young. The
exhibit features 66 works.

Kathy Ruth
Neal, “The
Slippery
Slope,”
1999,
carved
basswood,
metal,
newsprint,
acrylic, 7
3/4 x 20 x 5 1/2

until his death
in 2001. The exhibit also
includes works by Howard Finster’s
son Michael and daughter Annie togeth-

Art Museum

Children’s Museum

Planetarium

Museum News

2-3

4

5

6-7

Exhibit schedule subject to change

MARCH, APRIL, MAY 2005

ART MUSEUM
Midland Arts Association Spring Show
March 3 - April 3, 2005

Turner/Thomas Galleries
Museum of the Southwest.
rganized by the
Ann Armstrong will
Midland Arts
jury this year’s exhibition.
Association in cooperaTrained in the fundation with the Museum
mentals at the Kansas
of the Southwest, this
City Art Institute, her
annual juried exhibirepresentational bronze
tion will feature
and stoneware sculpapproximately 85
tures are well-known
works by area and
for their portrayal of
regional artists. Media
human emotion. A
will include oil, acrylic,
popular workshop
watercolor, mixedinstructor, Ann will
media, photograconduct a series of
phy, pastel, and
Artists’ Reception
workshops at the
three-dimensional
March 3
Midland Palette
works in sculpture
7 - 9 p.m.
Club on March 4,
and pottery. The
5, and 6. For more
exhibition will be
workshop information, contact Doris
celebrated with an artists’ reception on
Spires, 432-682-8401 or Nancy
Thursday, March 3 from 7 - 9 p.m. in the
Henderson, 432-697-2479.
Turner and Thomas Galleries at the

O

Tom Lea, “Winter in New Mexico,” 1933, oil on
board, 26 1/8”x22 1/8”

Light from the Sky:
A Tom Lea Retrospective
Continuing thru March 13, 2005

South Wing Galleries

Student Art Festival

B

orn in El Paso, Texas, in 1907, Lea
studied for three years at the School of
the Art Institute of Chicago. During the
Great Depression, he painted murals in
Washington, D.C., Texas, Missouri, and
New Mexico for the Works Progress
Administration (WPA). By World War II,
his illustrations had attracted the attention
of publisher Henry Luce, who hired him as
a war correspondent for Life magazine.
Lea returned to El Paso following the
war and took up a writing career alongside
his painting. He produced six books over
the next 20 years. While Lea primarily
focused on regional imagery of the
American Southwest, his themes are universal, and all viewers will find much to
appreciate in this exhibition.
--Light from the Sky is organized and toured by
ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts
Alliance, a private, nonprofit organization founded in
1972.
Sponsored in part by Harriet & Harvey Herd and
Jane C. Lea.

2

April 14 - May 8, 2005

Turner/Thomas Galleries & Children’s Museum
On Thursday, April 21, at 6:30
pring has definitely arrived
p.m., there will be an awards
when the annual Student
reception honoring secArt Festival comes to the
ondary students in the
Museum of the Southwest
Turner/Thomas Galleries.
each April. More than
Families and friends are
1,000 works by area artists
encouraged to attend and
will line the walls of the
support these creative young
Art Museum and
people on this evening of fun.
Children’s Museum, and
In
addition, the Children’s
scores of pedestals with creMuseum will be open that
ative works by Midland’s
evening for viewing
youngest artists will
the elementary stube on view. This
dents’ artwork.
annual event is
Awards Reception
All elementary
organized by
April 21
students will
Museum of the
6:30 p.m.
receive a certificate
Southwest,
of participation for
Midland City
their exhibited work from their teacher at
Council PTA, and the Midland
their individual school.
Independent School District.

S

MARCH, APRIL, MAY 2005

ART MUSEUM

Every work of art, whether sculpture, painting, music or architecture starts from an
idea. The idea is what we call an art works content. The Shape of Content pays homage
to artist Ben Shahn’s famous book of the same title to explore the interconnection
between an artist’s idea and their chosen medium to create a meaningful work of art.
Sponsored by The National Endowment for the Arts, a Federal Agency; The Arts
Assembly of Midland, The Beal Foundation, and Drs Praveen and Aparna Reddy.

Kate Petley:
Recent Works

Nancy Ferro:
Patterns of
Continuous Creation

May 6 - June 26, 2006

B

March 11 - April 24, 2005

B

orn in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1944,
Nancy Ferro has taught art for the
past 27 years in both public and private
schools. She received her B.A. from
Stephen F. Austin University in 1962, a
M.A. and M.F.A. from The University of
Dallas in
1989. Most
recently her work
was accepted in
the “New
American
Painting” collection through
Open Book
Publishers of
Boston, Mass.
Her mixed-media
compositions
combine the past
with the present
using materials
from friends, relArtists’ Reception
atives, collecFriday, March 11, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
tions, flea marHosted by Terry and John Staub
kets, found
objects, as well as traditional art materials.

MARCH, APRIL, MAY 2005

At top, Nancy Ferro,
“Georgie,” 2004, mixed
media/canvas, 21” x
21”
At bottom, Kate Petley,
“Dizzy Drops,” 2003

orn in Port Chester, New York, in
1954, Kate Petley traveled west
to graduate, cum laude, from the
University of Utah in 1976, with a
Bachelors of Fine Art degree. She
now works out of Pagosa Springs,
Colorado. Her medium of cast resin
sculpture is displayed both in
Artists’
the round and as
Reception
wall installations.
Friday, May 6,
One person exhi6 - 7:30 p.m.
bitions include
Hosted by
the Center for
Cheri and Scott Jones
Contemporary
Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Fort
Lewis College Art Gallery in
Durango, Colorado, and the Martin
Museum of Art at Baylor University
in Waco, Texas. She has received
numerous grants and awards including
one from the Permanent Public Art
Commission: Bush International
Airport and the Cultural Arts
Council of Houston for a large permanent installation inside the terminal.
Her work attempts to convey the
most ordinary occurrences in everyday life in a way that you cannot
overlook their simple elegance.

3

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

New Addition
The newest interactive at the
Children’s Museum, the Light Touch wall,
was dedicated at the public opening of
Christmas at the Mansion.

Deep Sea
Treasures
Coming this Summer!
Brought to us by the Helen
Greathouse Charitable Trust

A portion of operating support for the Children’s Museum is provided by the Abell-Hanger Foundation.
4

MARCH, APRIL, MAY 2005

PLANETARIUM
Celestial Contest
Deadline: April 1

T

ry your hand at identifying and listing all of the space objects depicted
on our mascot and you could win a free
one-year pass for your immediate family
to the public Sky Shows at the
Planetarium. You have through April 1,
2005 to give us a neat and colorful list
of all the celestial objects that you can
find decorating the bison, along with
your name and address. The museum
staff will do the final judging, so have
fun! The name of the winner will be
posted in the Planetarium.

Quarterly Skies
March

The celestial buffalo was unveiled at the public opening of Christmas at the Mansion and has been installed in
front of the Planetarium. The artists who designed and painted the buffalo were Susan Randle and John
Cappadonna (pictured) and Deborah Hamilton (not pictured). The buffalo is part of the Arts Assembly of
Midland’s Buffalo Basin community art project and was funded by Kay and Charles Bird, Judy and Hugh
Corrigan, and Mary Beth and Jeff Hewett. Our thanks to all those who made this project possible for the
Museum!

New Greeter
A

marvelous new sentinel will be “grazing and greeting” you as you approach
the Planetarium. This “must see” unique
celestial work of art is part of the Arts
Assembly of Midland’s “Buffalo Basin” project and was a generous gift to the Museum
by Kay & Charles Bird, Judy & Hugh

Corrigan, and Mary Beth & Jeff Hewett.
Artist Susan Randle, with skilled help of
fellow artists Deborah Hamilton and John
Cappadonna, created the magnificent work
of art. Oh, but please don’t feed our new
mascot as we have placed it on a strict diet
due to its choice of limited activity!

Winter Nights
Many budding astronomers think these
clear cold nights are best for viewing.
Those bright shiny stars displayed against a
jet black background may lead you to
believe you will have an improved transpar-

MARCH, APRIL, MAY 2005

ent sky for your telescope stargazing; this is
not necessarily the case. You will most likely encounter “shaky air,” caused by turbulence in the atmosphere, and it makes stars
twinkle more than usual.

New Moon on the 10th and a full Moon
on the 25th.
Planets to be seen will be: Saturn in the
Gemini Twins (very high), and with a telescope you can see the shadow cast on the
rings. Jupiter will rise after 8 p.m. and will
be brightest near the end of the month.
Mars will rise just before dawn in the southeast sky. The sun will cross the equator on
the 20th at 6:33 a.m. Central Time starting
the spring season.
April
New Moon on the 8th and a full Moon on
the 24th.
Planets to be seen will be: Jupiter, a bright
point of light in the southeast. Saturn shines
brightly in the west, in the constellation of
Gemini Twins. Telescopes will reveal the Moon
Titan within four ring widths. Mars will come
up around 2 a.m., low in the southeast.
May
New Moon on the 8th and a full Moon on
the 23rd. The full Moon will be very close to
the bright star, Antares.
Jupiter and Saturn shine prominently in the
southeast and west, respectively, in the twilight.
Mars rises in the southeast before dawn. The
Moon provides close conjunctions with bright
stars and planets this month.

5

MUSEUM NEWS
At right, Fred “Santa”
Westmoreland enjoys a moment
with little Elizabeth Ann Smith,
daughter of Kendall and Rusty
Smith. Below, “A Willie Wonka
Christmas” was one of 27 gingerbread entries for the silent
auction and display.

Christmas at the Mansion
Brings Holiday Cheer

At left, the Christmas tree and stairway decorations were just a few of the
many fabulous decorations throughout the Museum. Above, volunteers
Alyson French and Marisa Burns help with the raffle.

6

MARCH, APRIL, MAY 2005

MUSEUM NEWS
In(September
Remembrance
of …
2004 – January 10, 2005)
Diana Daugherty
Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Scharbauer, Jr.
Lynn & Fredda Durham
John F. & Jo Ann Milwee
Lynn D. Durham
Mr. & Mrs. Charles A. Dean
Mr. & Mrs. David R. Durham
Mr. & Mrs. Lynn D. Durham, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Marshall Durham
Mr. & Mrs. William M. Ford
Mr. & Mrs. William R. Ford
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Henderson
Mary B. Kennedy
Suzanne, Arch, James & Ginger Martin
Mr. & Mrs. Joel T. Mays
Mr. & Mrs. Leslie G. McLaughlin
Middle School Teachers at Trinity School
Mims & Stephens Insurance
Mr. & Mrs. Frank B. Powell
Mr. & Mrs. Walter S. Rankin
Carolyn J. Roden
Billie G. Ruppe
Dr. & Mrs. Tulsi Dyal Singh
Suzanne Smith
Robin & Mark Thomas
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Tighe
Mr. Lynne Whitt
Harriet Herd
Suzanne C. Martin
Ted La Caff
Mrs. John L. Cox
Robert L. Nickell, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. William R. Ford
Thomas Smith
Ginny & Randy Bailey
Suzanne Smith

Let's do lunch!
The library of the Museum has begun
hosting the “First Friday Film Series,” a
brown bag event on the first Friday of
each month from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Join
us on your lunch hour and satiate your
hunger for the arts! Complimentary tea
and Starbucks coffee provided. Call 6832882 for the film series schedule.

In Honor of …

(September 2004 – January 10, 2005)

Mr. & Mrs. Frank M. Agar
Mary & Henri de Compiegne
H.L. Brown
Mary & Henri de Compiegne
A.J. Brune
Bonnie Hambek
Marquita Potter
Lynda Spinks
Cece & A.J. Brune
Joe & Cherry Vaughn
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Dean
Mary & Henri de Compiegne
Mrs. John Dorn
Mary R. Griffith
Barbara Duke
Mary & Henri de Compiegne
Mrs. George Farrell
Mary R. Griffith
Arden Grover & Rosalind Redfern Grover
Mary & Henri de Compiegne
Marie Hall
Mary & Henri de Compiegne
Mrs. Finley Holbrook
Mary R. Griffith
Mrs. Charles Hunter
Mary R. Griffith
Mary Kennedy
Mary & Henri de Compiegne
William Marshall
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Humphreys
Mr. & Mrs. Clyde McCall
Mary & Henri de Compiegne
Jay Reynolds
Dr. George Bartha
Mr. & Mrs. Cy Wagner, Jr.
Mary & Henri de Compiegne
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Welch
Mary & Henri de Compiegne
Mr. & Mrs. Roy Williamson
Teresa Bell
Carol Kullman
Lou Mays
Mrs. R.R. Zonne
Mary R. Griffith

Museum Appreciates
Generous Support
(September 2004 - January 10, 2005)

Art Museum
• The Beal Foundation
Children’s Museum
• Bank of America
• Mary H. Conine
• The Helen Greathouse
Charitable Trust
Operating Support
• Abell-Hanger Foundation
• American Plains Artists
• Mr. & Mrs. William W. Burke
• Mr. & Mrs. Frank Kell Cahoon
• Mary Frances “Chan” Driscoll
• Mr. & Mrs. Donald N. Ewan
• Mr. & Mrs. L. R. French, Jr.
• Mr. Harvey Herd
• Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
• Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hudson
• Mr. & Mrs. J. Robert Lively
• Michaelson Producing Company
• Midland County
• Permian Cardiology Associates
• Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Scharbauer
• Mr. & Mrs. Herbert M. Stanley
• Mr. Willie E. Wilson, Sr.

Elegant Elephant Is Just
Around the Corner!
May 12 - 14
Once again it’s time to be thinking of
all of those “elephants” in your closet that
need a new home! Won’t you please consider donating your items to our fundraiser,
Elegant Elephant? Held only once every 3
years, this event is a great way to show your
support for the Museum and recycle items
of value that you no longer need or use.
Call the Museum at 683-2882 to arrange
for the pickup of your items.

The Museum of the Southwest, a non-profit corporation, is supported in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts
(TCA), with funding from the State of Texas and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Museum also receives
generous support from Midland County and the City of Midland. Additional revenue is raised through private
contributions, grants, membership dues, and earned income activities.
The newsletter is published quarterly by the Museum of the Southwest. All inquiries and letters should be addressed to: Museum of the
Southwest, 1705 West Missouri, Midland, Texas 79701-6516. Newsletter design: LMG Design, 1-918-461-0001

MARCH, APRIL, MAY 2005

7

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Museum Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.

Through their in-kind generosity, the
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Midland, Texas 79701-6516

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