Tony Pro, As the Day Passes, oil, 16 x 12.
InSight Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX
October 4-25
The worlds of ranching, rodeos and more are on full display in the carefully curated exhibition Trailblazers & Traditions at InSight Gallery in Fredericksburg, Texas. The show, featuring the work of 10 artists, is a tribute to the storied traditions of yesteryear and how they live on today. Each piece on view is defined by the artists’ experiences and perspectives on the American West to celebrate and honor this vast and varied region.
Participating in the show are Rachel Brownlee, Mary Ross Buchholz, Mikel Donahue, Tom Dorr, Bruce Greene, Abigail Gutting, John Fawcett, Tony Pro, Robert Pummill and Michael Ome Untiedt.
Rachel Brownlee, Trail of Silver Dreams, charcoal.
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- John Fawcett, Red Creek Crossing, oil, 18 x 24.
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- John Fawcett, Letter From Home, watercolor, 18 x 24.
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- John Fawcett, Autumn Glory, oil, 20 x 24.
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- Tony Pro, Path of the Elders, oil, 20 x 16.
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- Abigail Gutting, The Last Draw, oil, 30 x 40.
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- Mikel Donahue, Hook Em Horns, oil, 15 x 30.
Brownlee’s deep connection with the American West begins with being a sixth-generation rancher. Growing up on a family homesteaded ranch in western Nebraska, she began working on the ranch as a child and at age 13 bought her “own bronc of a horse.” She says, “My whole life has been about the cattle, the grass and the people who work here. I think it’s important to draw attention to the fact that the American West is still living and living much as it was 100 years ago, with the same goal of shepherding the land and the cattle to its best and most efficient usage.”
Her drawing TRAIL OF SILVER DREAMS, she explains, “depicts the beautiful evening moment of returning to the headquarters after moving cattle all day. So much of ranch life is difficult, and it’s a blessing to be able to appreciate the beautiful moments.”
Michael Ome Untiedt, Zopolete Springs, oil, 24 x 18.
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- Rachel Brownlee, Into the Wind, charcoal.
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- Mary Ross Buccholz, Pretty As A Cactus Flower, charcoal, 36 x 36.
Pro was exposed to Western and Native American art by his parents who were avid collectors of art, jewelry and textiles. During his childhood in the 1970s and ’80s, they would travel throughout the American West visiting Navajo and Hopi reservations and attending art shows like the Cowboy Artists of America’s annual exhibition. “During these travels, I had the privilege of meeting many of the great Western artists of the past. This early exposure inspired me to train as an illustrator and graphic designer in the early ’90s,” Pro says. “As I began my fine art career, I initially lightly focused on the American West as a subject matter along with contemporary figurative works. However, after my father’s death in 2013, I transitioned to working full-time in Western art as a tribute to him.”
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- Bruce Greene, Where the Ancients Ran, bronze, 34 x 45.5 x 9.
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- Bruce Greene, Old Ways, New Days, oil, 12 x 12.
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- Bruce Greene, La Luna Grande, gouache, 12 x 12.
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- Tom Dorr, Arizona Sundown, oil, 11 x 14.
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- Tom Dorr, Chasing Strays, oil, 11 x 14.
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- Michael Ome Untiedt, Zopolete Springs, oil, 24 x 18.
Explaining his painting AS THE DAY PASSES, Pro shares, “[It] features a young Red Willow (Pueblo) Indian at the Taos Pueblo, wrapped in a Mokie Serape from the late 1800s, one of my favorite Navajo textiles. I am captivated by the interplay of the serape’s vibrant colors and sharp angles against the organic shapes and forms of the Taos landscape.”
The show, featuring 25 new works total by the exhibiting artists, runs October 4 to 25 with a reception on opening night from 5 to 7 p.m. —Rochelle Belsito
contact information
(830) 997-9920
insightgallery.com
This story appeared in the October/November 2024 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Subscribe today to read every issue in its entirety.