Bosque Art Classic
The Bosque Art Classic returns to the Bosque Arts Center for its 33rd year.
Clifton, TX
From September 9 to 22, the Bosque Art Classic, the national juried exhibition and sale known for its inclusion of works by some of the top Western artists in the country, will display artwork in a variety of categories comprising drawing, oil/acrylic, pastel, sculpture and water media. Past winners returning to the show this year include Herman Walker, Kathy Tate, Randy Meador, Matt Atkinson, Jeff Segler, William Schneider, Joel Edwards, Cindy Long and many others.
“I am looking forward to seeing some of the best efforts by artists from around the country,” says Walker. “The quality and diversity of the work is always amazing and a joy to see.” For the 2018 show, Walker brings an oil titled Blanca, a portrait of a young, white heifer. “Blanca is like a teenager—she is confident but questions the human intrusion into her space.”
Another previous winner, Don Weller brings to this year’s show a watercolor titled Down In, set in Mary Jane Canyon in southern Utah. The piece illustrates the dangers of being trapped by a flash flood, as well as the uneasiness of the horse that senses the potential perils ahead, Weller explains.
Newcomers to the show this year include sculptors Jeff Rechin and Gary Ward, as well as watercolorist Tim Oliver. “I am so excited to be included in the Bosque Art Classic,” says Ward. “I have tried for a number of years to get in, and it is a great honor to finally be chosen. I am really looking forward to seeing my work on display with all of the incredible work that makes up this show.” Known for his highly detailed carvings of wildfowl, Rechin brings to the show an owl sculpture made from Tupelo wood and painted using acrylics. One of the biggest challenges, he says, is pulling off a realistic look for the feathers. “I was really trying to
capture something most people never see. The world of a flammulated owl,” Rechin says, adding that the flammulated owl is one of the only species in the country with darkcolored eyes, rather than the quintessential bright yellow most people associate with the nocturnal hunter.
Compañeros, a pastel by Maryneil Dance, depicts two wolves surrounded by a frigid landscape. The piece came into being after a photography safari to Alaska and Colorado to study wolf sanctuaries, the artist explains. “I was utterly inspired by their intelligence, friendly and playful behavior, along with their ability to make strong emotional attachments with each other. They are so much like us. I want to capture the trust and relaxed confidence they have in the wild as they are deciding their next adventure,” says Dance.
The Bosque Art Classic awards over $15,500 in prizes, including the $5,000 John Steven Jones Purchase Award and the $1,000 Art Patrons Purchase Award. The show and sale, hosted and sponsored by the BAC Art Council, will begin with an opening night awards ceremony and dinner on September 8. Ticket sales open in August and must be purchased in advance.