National Ranching Heritage Center
3121 Fourth Street, Lubbock, TX 79409 (806) 742-0498, ranchhc@ttu.edu www.nrhc.ttu.edu
Western art and gear collectors will have an opportunity not only to purchase new art pieces, but also to meet the artists June 2 at the Fifth Annual Summer Stampede Art and Gear Show from 6 to 11 p.m. at the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas.
More than 30 artists and craftsmen will exhibit original art and gear at the annual event, which includes both a dinner and a Western swing dance. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the educational and restoration programs of the NRHC, which is a unique 27-acre museum and historical park established to preserve and interpret the history of ranching.
Supported by Texas Tech University and the Ranching Heritage Association, the center features a 44,000-square-foot museum with seven galleries and a 19-acre historical park with 50 authentic dwellings and ranch structures from some of the nation’s most historic ranches.
Although the NRHC only sells art once a year in June, Western art is on exhibit in the museum galleries throughout the year. “Western art and museum artifacts complement each other,” says Scott White, Director of Collections, Exhibits and Research. “Our galleries depict the ranching life. You can see the art and then walk into the historic park and see authentic ranch structures like those in the paintings.”
White said the Summer Stampede Art and Gear sale “is unique for this part of the country.” The NRHC takes a lower commission than most galleries and doesn’t require a bidding process. Buyers can meet the artist, pay the posted price and take the artwork home that day.
“We’ve been able to do something that most shows can’t do, and that’s please the artists,” White said. “From the very first show five years ago, every artist has asked to come back every year.”
Even though Summer Stampede is relatively new among Western art shows, White said sales have been equivalent to other long-established shows and “we were able to prove ourselves immediately right out of the blocks.”
Artist participation is by invitation only. Those tentatively scheduled to exhibit their work on June 2 include Russell Yates, Baru Forell, Edgar Sotelo, Peter Robbins, David Griffin, Tyler Crow, Bob Moline, Doug Clark, Wilson Capron, Mike Capron, Mary Baxter, Billy Klapper, Brian Asher, Wayne Baize,
Mary Ross Buchholz, Jason Scull, Garland Weeks, Michael Tittor, Stewart Williamson, Herman Walker, Toni Arnett, Jayson Jones, Janeil Anderson, Kim Mackey, Jan Mapes, Emily Mccartney, Billy Albin, Beau Compton, Buddy Knight, Dustin Payne, Tanner Crow, Rex Crawford and Matt Humphreys.
Limited tickets are available for Summer Stampede and can be purchased online at www.ranchingheritage.org or by calling Vicki Quinn-williams at (806) 834-0469. The cost is $75 for Ranching Heritage Association members, $100 for non-members, $1,250 for a reserved table for eight under the tent or $1,000 for a reserved table in on the open patio.