T E X A S H I L L C O U N T R Y
Robert Moore
InSight Gallery represents a select group of the finest painters and sculptors living and working today in landscape, figurative, impressionistic, still life, Native American, wildlife and Western art.
Robert Moore
InSight Gallery represents a select group of the finest painters and sculptors living and working today in landscape, figurative, impressionistic, still life, Native American, wildlife and Western art.
ONE WINE ESTATE TWO PREMIER WINERIES
HEATH SPARKLING WINES
Charles Morin Fine Art Hours: Fredericksburg: Open 7 Days a Week 10:00-5:30
San Antonio: Tues.-Fri. 10:00-5:30 • Sat. 10:00-4:00 By appointment any other time.
Among the 1.5 million visitors to our Fredericksburg and Gillespie County are many who care deeply for its vibrant art scene. And while wine and art pair well, our local galleries showcase so much local talent and regional art that the arts are an attraction all their own.
In our Art Guide, we love to feature this diverse array of galleries, artists and their work in various media. And this guide can help a visitor find that special piece of Hill Country art they wish to take home with them.
Art has lifted spirits for hundreds of years, and we’re so grateful to those who share their talents with us and reflect this special place in their work. Join us for a monthly dose of good feeling at the First Friday Art Walk, which showcases the many galleries and artists.
Whether you’re looking for a majestic Texas sky, a cowboy-themed work or more modern national artists who represent various themes, our
local art scene offers something for everyone and attracts both the discerning eye and those seeking a simple pleasure.
If you’re unsure about what you want, just ask. Our local gallery owners represent some of the top art deals in the nation and they can inform art seekers on the history, stylistic techniques and influences of the works they sell.
Art enhances our community in innumerable ways, whether it is seen in a gallery, on the walls of restaurants or wineries, in our fine museums or on public display. Along with heritage and the tastes of wine, it is a part of what gives this area its unique flavor and makes it an easy adventure to find something to adorn your home.
Welcome to Fredericksburg, and enjoy your art-filled journey.
Ken Esten Cooke Publisher234 West Main Street • 830-990-8160
www.artisanstexasgallery.com • patricia@artisanstexas.com
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For 18 years, Artisans Gallery has represented and supported Texas artists who create an array of fine art, fine furnishings and fine craft. The gallery includes ceramics, furniture, wood turnings, sculpture, jewelry, mosaics, glass, functional pottery and kinetic outdoor art, along with paintings. The art displayed may be decorative or functional.
Owner Patricia Karr prides herself on the gallery’s “Texas-friendly atmosphere.” She defines fine craft as “handmade work of various mediums, but it’s the highest level of quality. When people think of art, they think of painting. But fine craft is another
category of art,” Karr said. “Our mission is to support our local artists from around the Hill Country.”
The Karrs have been collecting art for more than 25 years and try to replicate the welcoming atmosphere they have enjoyed in other galleries. Behind every piece of art is a talented, experienced, hardworking artist with a unique story to tell through their creations.
Artisans Gallery carries art in a wide price range, appealing to both the firsttime art buyer and the collector. For First Friday Art Walk, Artisans hosts a reception from 5-8 p.m.
402 East Main Street • 830-997-6750 • Facebook @Auer-Haus Instagram @auerhaushomeOpen weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
From cacti to bluebonnets, from windmills to horses, from cowboys to sunsets — your home comes together at Auer haus, located across from the Admiral Nimitz Gallery. Every inch of the spacious shop is filled with distinctive furnishings, elegant accessories, fine lighting and original art, all with a Hill Country flair. Auer haus also offers design services.
“We pride ourselves in carrying a lot of USA-made products and Texas artists. You can furnish the whole house through us,” said owner Shelly Mazurek. “We try to do things
differently than anybody else.”
Often a customer who is in the market for a sofa or a lamp sees a piece of fine art hanging nearby and decides to complete the look of the room.
Auer haus carries art by C.J. Latta, Kay Walton and Kenneth Wyatt, who is collected by farmers, bankers, presidents, queens, movie stars and clergy. The shop’s artists may also do commissions, upon request. In addition to fine art, giclée’s may be available.
210-845-7972 • janburley@yahoo.com • www.janburleyfineart.com Instagram @JanBurleyFineArt_official
Jan Burley’s paintings combine her artistic and scientific skills. She studied art under painter Charles Berkeley Normann at Texas School of Fine Arts and earned a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
“I painted a bunch of longhorns — that’s how I paid my tuition in school,” she said.
Burley spent her career at NASA and even designed an organizational patch for the Flight Design and Dynamics Division. After retirement she focused on art — watercolor, oil and collage.
Burley teaches collage workshops online via Adult Craft LAB classes sponsored by Wimberly Village Library. She has a two-day in-person
“Perspectives In Collage” workshop scheduled for March 5-6 at the New Braunfels Art League.
“People say they can’t even draw a stick figure, but they walk away with a frameable collage,” she said. Her collages have won Best In Show at juried exhibitions, and her photographs of New Mexico’s Ghost Ranch were featured in the organization’s 2017 and 2018 calendars. She also coordinated a public art project with Wimberly Valley Radio, and two of her originals are featured on the building’s tribute to the Texas Hill Country. Burley also works in vintage restoration of furniture and Southwestern jewelry.
P.O. Box 1122
• www.dkfredericksburg.org • Facebook @dkfredericksburg
Die Künstler von Fredericksburg means “The Artists of Fredericksburg,” but most people refer to the group as DK. Founded in 1991, DK’s club membership includes about 100 artists. The club also provides scholarships to several high school students who participate in its annual shows.
DK’s purpose is to promote art appreciation and education in Fredericksburg and the Texas Hill Country for artists at every level of experience. The group meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month at Gillespie County Historical Society,
312 West San Antonio Street. Meetings are free and open to the public and include live demonstrations by noted artists.
DK’s Spring Fling Art Sale, featuring original art and prints by local artists, will be held April 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at historic Marktplatz. On November 10-12, DK will mark its 30th annual Fine Art Show and Sale at St. Joseph’s Halle, 212 West San Antonio Street. Club members will present more than 200 original works of framed art and unframed studio extras from over 40 local artists.
308 East Austin Street • 830-997-4949 • www.fredericksburgartguild.com
FredericksburgArtGuild@gmail.com
Open Thursday through Sunday, 10-4 p.m
Fredericksburg Art Guild is a nonprofit organization founded more than 50 years ago by artist John McClusky to support the arts in the Texas Hill Country. All members are Texas artists. Featured shows rotate between the members each month.
Adult oil painting classes are offered throughout the year by Truby Hardin, and Nan Henke teaches watercolor. Most students participate in a juried show in February. A professionally juried show takes place in May for artists in and around Gillespie County. During Memorial Day weekend the guild hosts a weekend Art Fest on
the grounds, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to celebrate art and those who have served our country.
Courtesy of Pedernales Creative Arts Alliance (PCAA), the guild is represented in a large tent at Oktoberfest. Support for the guild is provided by PCAA and the City of Fredericksburg’s Hotel Occupancy Tax.
During First Friday Art Walk the gallery stays open until 8 p.m. Visitors interact with the guild’s artists while enjoying fine art and local wine in a historic building. Stay updated on upcoming events through the guild’s website.
830-997-0515 • www.fbgartschool.com • bush@fbgartschool.com
Classes held at 237 West Main Street.
Fredericksburg Artists’ School, founded by Nancy and Bill Bush, brings nationally recognized artists to Fredericksburg. These professionals lead four- and five-day painting workshops, primarily in oil or pastel. It’s the premiere school of its kind in the Southwest. Classes are open to both the serious artist and the beginner, and all participants receive quality instruction and personal engagement.
“Our students come from throughout the United States, primarily to learn from these particular artists. And also because Fredericksburg is a wonderful city to visit,” said Bill Bush, who manages the school.
His wife, Nancy Bush, who shows in fine galleries across the country, is one of the instructors.
Bill is not an artist — he’s a CPA. More than 25 years ago, on the way home from attending an art school in Santa Fe, Nancy told Bill they needed to start an art school because of the abundant opportunities for plein air painting in the Texas Hill Country.
The Bushes also offer artwork for sale from their extensive collection, gathered over the past 35 years.
All classes are held at Appretiare, located at 237 West Main Street, home office of ISA-accredited appraiser Lee Ann Whatley.
330 West Main Street • 830-307-3339 • www.gallery330.com
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday and Monday by appointment
Gallery 330, located on West Main between Orange and Milam Streets, specializes in contemporary realism and impressionism. It represents established and emerging regional and national artists in a variety of styles and mediums. Visit the website to learn more about the gallery artists as well as the estate art.
The gallery was opened in October 2017 Gary and Maggie ScrippsKlenzing, who have a passion
for art and for the community of Fredericksburg. Honoring the historical significance of the town, they have lovingly restored the 1908 August Itz building, where Gallery 330 is located, as well as buildings hosting two iconic restaurants — Crossroads Saloon & Steakhouse and Altdorf Biergarten.
Gallery 330 is a proud participant in First Friday Art Walk and remains open until 8 p.m. for the monthly celebration.
218 West Main Street • 830-997-1111 • www.goodartcompany.com
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; info@goodartcompany.com
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday and Monday, by appointment
Established in 2008, the Good Art Company is a contemporary international gallery representing more than 40 artists from as close as the local Texas Hill Country to as far away as New York, Russia and South Korea. The gallery hosts diverse curations of modern and traditional art, including heavy-textured oils, abstracts and contemporary Western paintings. The gallery is located in the historic
Schmidt-Dietz building and was featured in Texas Monthly’s August 2018 issue about small towns in an article titled “Creative Spaces.”
The entire collection can be accessed by visiting the online gallery, and secure purchases can be made at any time. The Good Art Company cares about helping people personalize their homes with fine art from its enormous selection.
“I moved here with a tent and only a wheelbarrow and some cement,” Perkins said.
Perkins hails from the Chicago area. His father was a Pullman porter, and his mother cleaned at a mental institution. They sent him to a Catholic school to get a good education, but he wasn’t Catholic, and he was also the only Black kid. His status as an outsider, both at school and in his neighborhood, propelled him to make art that draws people inside his creative spirit.
“Inside is outside. Outside is inside,” Perkins said. “Art has a way of moving around people that talkin’ by itself don’t get at.”
He said, Charlie, thirty years went by way too fast, it seemed. / I just chased an artisan’s dream / And I said, Jonas, that’s just the artisan’s way. – song by Charlie Kelley, for Jonas Perkins
Imagine if an artist exuded his craft in every aspect of his life: his demeanor, his domicile, and yes, in his artwork. Fredericksburg has such an artist, a man who lives near the bat cave. He is the internationally known sculptor and mosaic artist Jonas Perkins.
An artist and an artisan are different — one makes fine art, and one makes fine craft. Perkins makes both. He can turn clay into bronze. He can build a house out of abandoned wine bottles, satellite dishes and Aircrete. He can inspire a song.
His mother believed in him from an early age, telling him, “God’s got a plan for you, son,” Perkins recalled. She also taught ceramics and gave him clay to play with. Even as a child he could make clay look like actual, recognizable people. He still doesn’t sketch before he starts to sculpt. He simply sees an image and follows it.
“When you do a sculpture, you visualize. It’s my perception of what I see.” he said. “What you’re doing as a sculptor is a collective of many aspects of a person.”
He has sculpted numerous historical figures — George Washington Carver, Governor Bill Clements, Frederick Douglass, Quanah Parker, Gordon Parks, Rosa Parks, Harold Washington, Carl Solms-Braunfels (and his German castle). He’s currently working on a sculpture of Jim Collums and his windmills for the Longhorn Museum in Pleasanton. Perkins’ work can be found in hospitals, libraries, museums, parks and in private collections.
After a trip to Windsor Castle, he was inspired to make a bronze from a 6-foot-tall painting of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
“She didn’t have her royal trappings on, just a real man and a real woman,” Perkins said, adding, “I have an emotional attachment to the queen.”
He’s sculpted every U.S. president, going back to John F. Kennedy.
“I sent Nixon his statue on the day of Watergate,” Perkins said. “I did one for the Gipper.”
Perkins earned admission to the Art Institute of Chicago with a sculpture of a woman titled “Princess Queen,” carved from black walnut using a screwdriver and broken glass. He only stayed two years — the artistic style was too abstract for Perkins’ taste. So he hopped on a train and headed to Mexico and Instituto Allende visual arts school. Afterward he went back to working on the railroad as a brakeman, where he received some
sage advice from a friend who was not an artist.
“He said, ‘Perky, you need to do presidents or generals — someone they know and recognize,’” Perkins said. And so he did. But the recognizable person who put him on the map was Pope John Paul II.
Henry Cisneros was mayor of San Antonio when the pope visited in 1987. Cisneros knew Perkins and knew he was working on something. Word got around, and Perkins was summoned to Westover Hills, where the outdoor mass was to take place.
“At 3 a.m., some guy called and said, ‘The pope wants to see the statue.’ I had to stand in between these two National Guards guys while the pope drove by in his popemobile. The guy behind me had a gun, so it was like, ‘Don’t move,’” Perkins said.
Perkins stayed still, but that statue moved the world for him. Commissions, both public and private,
followed and have not stopped.
In addition to sculpture, Perkins also makes mosaics. He’s recreated the 9/11 firefighters, Buffalo Soldiers, President Obama’s “Yes We Can,” the San Antonio Spurs icon and his own family.
“I got hurt and was laid up in the bed. The only thing I could do was lay there and break that tile,” Perkins said.
He’s also done a mosaic of Frank Sinatra.
“Sinatra would give my dad a $100 tip, ‘to get the kids new shoes,’” Perkins said. “I won’t sell that one.”
He has even combined sculpture with mosaic in the Great Benini Luminary, honoring Benini, the Italian-turnedTexan painter and assemblage artist.
Perkins’ studio, which he built beside his house, includes spiral mosaics in the flooring made from a local granite quarry’s cast-offs. He built his own foundry after taking a class at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.
Perkins boils the whole sculpting process down to one simple direction: “I can melt something and make it look like somebody,” he said.
Every piece of art he makes affects him. His Korean War memorial “Night Watch,” installed outside the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium, was sponsored by C Company, 20th Infantry Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve. It features two men in a foxhole, back to back, two men who “couldn’t share a tortilla together back in Texas,” Perkins said, and then walked away for a moment to collect himself. He came back with tears in his eyes.
The universe Perkins dwells in is a kind and generous place, filled with unexpected meetings, like when his truck broke down near the house of legendary architect O’Neil Ford. That mishap led to a series of friendships and artistic partnerships.
Or there was the time he ran into Hondo Crouch (aka Mr. Luckenbach) at what Perkins called “the back 40” of the UTSA Texan Cultures Institute, where Perkins had a woodworking booth. Crouch invited him to come to Fredericksburg and check out its art scene. While attending a parade, Perkins noticed a Black man on a float, standing and waving. He decided it couldn’t be that bad of a town, even though “There hadn’t been a guy who looked like me to move here in 100 years,” he said.
Spending time with a person’s likeness and bringing them to life creates a deep bond between Perkins and his subjects. His gentle demeanor and talent draw people to him as friends, and sometimes those friends become enshrined in art, including Hondo’s wife Schatzie Crouch, who Perkins called “the Queen Mom of Fredericksburg.”
“She was the most human, human.” he said. “When I moved here, she was nice to me.”
Perkins also influenced Charlie Kelley, an occasional leader of Luckenbach Pickers Circle. After he assisted Perkins on a bronze of José Antonio Navarro, Kelley said Perkins asked him, “Why don’t you write a song about what I do?” and so he did. “The Artisan’s Way” begins “He came out of Chicago on a southbound wind.”
That wind blows Perkins wherever he needs to go, shows him whoever he needs to talk to and whatever piece of art or craft he needs to work on in any given moment.
“People like to try to catch you,” Perkins said.
But it’s impossible to catch him. You might as well try to catch the wind.
nanhenke@gmail.com • www.nanhenke.com
Nan Henke translates the treasures of the Texas Hill Country into paintings for your enjoyment. Clients have commissioned a 5-foot-tall acrylic landscape on canvas to go over the fireplace or selected a smaller framed watercolor of scraggly wildflowers to brighten the kitchen. Some have chosen a piece of digital fine art, or a unique original painting inspired by their favorite snapshot to welcome guests at the front door.
Landscapes, wildflowers and even food and critters from the Texas Hill Country make frequent appearances in Nan’s art. She signs her paintings with the Rocking O, the cattle brand that
has been in the Henke family for over 100 years. They no longer brand cattle, but Henke does brand her paintings.
Henke’s art is available at the Fredericksburg Art Guild, URBANherbal in San Antonio and at NanHenke.com. Follow her day-to-day art journey (mistakes and all) on Facebook, Instagram, Musero and Pinterest.
People who are interested in giving art a try are encouraged to sign up for Henke’s Simple Watercolors Workshop, held monthly at the Fredericksburg Art Guild, 308 East Austin St. Schedule and registration information is available on her website, and beginners are always welcome.
318 Main Street, Marble Falls, TX 78654 • 830-693-7324
www.highlandartsguild.org • Instagram: @highlandarts.gallery highlandartsguild@gmail.com
Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (5 p.m. in the summer)
Highland Arts Guild and Gallery celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021. The nonprofit guild offers original paintings, drawings, sculpture and beautiful craft items by professional and emerging local artists who live in a four-county area around Marble Falls. The gallery has art for every taste, occasion and price range. Displays in the Main Street gallery change regularly, so there’s always something new to see. The gallery’s two biggest shows, which feature works from member artists and artisans, take place in the spring and fall.
The guild holds demonstrations and workshops with professional artists in
its gallery space throughout the year, and it holds weekly classes in various art media, such as acrylic, oil, watercolor, pastel and drawing. Guild membership is not a requirement to attend a demonstration or a class.
In the summer, the guild holds a popular one-week art camp for kids ages 9 through 15. Members of the guild also visit assisted living facilities to offer art and craft activities to the residents.
The guild is pleased to serve the Marble Falls community by promoting interest in the creative arts. Artists in the Marble Falls area who may be interested in membership should come by the gallery for more information.
Note: All mileage shown is calculated from Marktplatz in downtown Fredericksburg.
P.O. Box 8936, Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657 • info@hlcarts.com hlcarts.com • highlandlakescreativearts@gmail.com
Highland Lakes Creative Arts
(HLCA) is a nonprofit art group that produces two main art events each year — Paint the Town, a juried plein air competition and sale; and Sculpture on Main, a celebration of public art. In 2023, Paint the Town will be held April 27-29, with an added Sculpture on Main street fest and sculpture market. This year’s judge for Paint The Town will be Charlie Hunter.
HLCA president Bill Rives loves watching plein air artists at work.
“To capture a setting on canvas is incredible in and of itself, but to paint a scene in which light is constantly changing, shadows are changing, temperatures can drop, winds can
gust — a real plein air artist must come equipped for the elements, as well as be prepared to paint.” he said. “It is not for the faint of heart!”
All year long HLCA invests in future artists by working with school districts in Burnet and Marble Fall to donate art supplies and underwrite a student art book. Paint the Town includes a student art day in which young people are paired with a painting mentor for an afternoon.
HLCA also partners with the Phoenix Center’s art therapy program. During the holidays it sponsors live ice sculpture carving as part of Christmas in Marble Falls.
214 West Main Street • 830-997-9920 • www.insightgallery.com info@insightgallery.com
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday and Monday, by appointment—call 512-947-2916 or 830-998-4647.
InSight Gallery represents a select group of today’s finest painters and sculptors. The 60 nationally recognized, award-winning artists are American Impressionist Society Masters, Cowboy Artists of America, Master Oil Painters of America and Pastel Society of America Masters. These artists are invited to participate in prestigious national museum shows, including Prix de West, Autry/Masters of the American West, Briscoe Museum’s “Night of Artists” and Eiteljorg Museum’s “Quest for the West.”
“Amid such esteemed artists, we strive to provide a welcoming and hospitable environment so that art collectors, art lovers and art
novices alike can come and enjoy the experience,” said Elizabeth Harris, who has owned and operated the gallery with her husband, Stephen, since 2015.
The gallery is located in the 1907 Schwarz building, which was restored in 2010. InSight Gallery staff shows everyone who walks in the door Fredericksburg hospitality.
“We realize how fortunate we are to have this location — 8,000 square feet of open show space — tall ceilings, lots of natural light, original pine floors, original rock walls. It was an immaculate restoration,” she said.
For First Friday Art Walk, InSight Gallery remains open until 7:30 p.m.
228 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville, TX 78028 • 830-895-2911
www.kacckerrville.com
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Kerr Arts and Cultural Center (KACC) was founded in 1995 by local artists as a community art center and arts destination in downtown Kerrville. KACC is located in the historic 1935 post office building, which was completely renovated into a first-class arts venue. Exhibits change once a month.
KACC is the home of two flagship events: the Southwest Gourd Fine Art Show, May 18 - July 01, and the Texas
Furniture Makers Show in December. On May 7-13, KACC will partner with Outdoor Painters Society for a plein air event.
KACC also hosts cultural events, classes and workshops for artists of all ages and abilities. The gift shop is the place to go for one-of-a-kind, locally produced gifts. Admission is always free.
201 East San Antonio Street • 830-997-0073 • www.larryjacksonantiques.com
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 12-5 p.m.
For more than 25 years Larry Jackson has served Fredericksburg with a commitment to carry fine art, quality antiques and uncommon home decor. The gallery exhibits estate artwork by notable and collected artists, such as Vives Atsara, G. Harvey, Porfirio Salinas, Robert Pummill, Robert Wood and many others. Also featured are Western and contemporary bronzes that complement any home.
“We assist both first-time and longtime clients to select the perfect art, antiques, modern furnishings and accessories to create an up-to-date yet timeless look that will be enjoyed for a lifetime,” said Jeannie Jackson, whose education focused on art and design.
She described her husband, co-owner Larry Jackson, as “Fredericksburg’s very own ‘Antiques Roadshow’ expert.” Larry brings 40 years of experience in art and antiques to the gallery. His expertise is recognized throughout the United States.
The gallery specializes in helping clients indulge in artful living, with fine rugs, unique lighting, objects d’art and what Jeannie calls “unforgettables” of every imaginable description.
Larry and Jeannie Jackson are among the founding members of First Friday Art Walk.
It’s a full moon, and the Palm Springs swimming pool is lit up with hues gradating from Caribbean turquoise to a shade of light sherbert, not unlike the frothy color of a 1950’s Christmas punch. The background is a dusky scene, featuring a retro ranch house, a darkened desert mountain range, and two towering palm trees, seemingly old and with a thick beard of dead leaves hanging beneath the gray-green ones. In the center of the foreground leading into the pool is a diving board, and standing at its edge, we see the back of a rodeo cowboy, still sporting his number 15 tag, riding chaps, and a felt hat. He’s staring into the pool’s crystal depths, maybe contemplating a plunge, a recent performance, or a western romance.
Really, we can’t know what the cowboy at the edge of the diving board is thinking, and according to the painter Kevin Chupik, who brought the scene to life, the why isn’t as important as the what. It’s a provocate painting that makes you look and wonder. “I tend not to dwell upon all the baggage that the fine art gallery people try to saddle me with. Pun intended,” he chuckles.
Chupik was born in Fort Worth, but in 1977 when he was 9 years old,
he moved to Tuscon with his family. Their house was on the edge of town, and young Kevin could walk from his neighborhood home to the threshold of the Sonoran Desert, the wild setting for his indoctrination to the southwestern aesthetic. Surrounded by saguaros, he’d bring his BB gun to hunt rabbits and small fowl, drying the hides and cataloging the feathers in Ziplock bags.
At least once every other week, the family would visit a nearby dude ranch where the naturalist painter Ray Harm just so happened to be working, a subtle but formative introduction to fine art.
Chupik embraced his playground easily and wholly. Those years, “gave me a real mature understanding of what it was to be alone out in the wild. And I was. My sister and I never had a babysitter. We were unattended all day long. That’s kind of where everything started.”
Chupik got a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Texas Christian University. (This is also where he met his wife Andrea, who was studying graphic design.) While in college, he went on a schoolsponsored trip to Santa Fe where he and other TCU students stayed at Georgia O’Keeffe’s ghost ranch. At
the time, the trip felt no more than a collegiate romp, but in hindsight, Chupik sees it as something else: “It was really pivotal to the kind of work I was making — work that was very much about the West and landscape. I was trying to marry it to sculptural forms. The trip was really a kind of continuation of the aesthetic that Tuscon put into my soul.”
After graduation, Kevin and Andrea moved to Boulder so he could pursue an MFA, a seeming footnote to the easy access Colorado granted him to the mountains and high desert where the real adventure happened. “That’s really when my fiendish approach to the outdoors started,” he said. “I logged 16 [mountain biking] trips one year to southeastern Utah, Four Corners area.”
After Boulder, the couple moved to Las Vegas, deeper in the desert and surrounded by a landscape whose archaeology and ecology enchanted him. “At that time, it was my favorite place on earth.”
A month and a half after landing in Vegas, Kevin had a serious mountain bike accident that left him in a wheelchair. Decades later,
he easily articulates the choice he was presented with, “I either have to reinvent myself or be miserable. And I chose to reinvent myself and I focused more on contemporary work.”
A lot of life has happened since the accident. Kevin and Andrea have built careers and had a daughter, Ava. They also moved back to Texas, eventually settling south of Fort Worth near Kevin’s family. All the while, Kevin has been painting, developing a style that is recognizable for its unique themes and alluring juxtaposition of the old west in a new form.
The walls of Kevin’s studio room are lined with vintage Western novelties like colorful plastic figurines and Rin Tin Tin memorabilia. It’s clear that he’s an enthusiast of nostalgia, able to pluck character or pantone inspiration from vintage Western motifs. “I’ve always been a collector of images. I am grabbing an image and tucking it away. I’ve got thousands of them. I keep some on the back burner.”
And some get brought to the forefront, combined in a way that’s interesting and suddenly alluring. Using software like Procreate, Kevin can understand what works
well together before putting brush to board. “Whatever I need to do to create that vision that I have in my head, that concept… whether it’s drawing, painting or sculpture, painting or assemblage, whatever it is. The image is important to me.”
Chupik works in acrylic, a medium that helps him move fast, like a barrel racer rounding the bend.
“I think a lot of my inspiration comes from my longtime favorite artists, or one of them, René Magritte,” best known for his surrealist images of clouds, bowler hats, and green apples. “When you get that moment where there’s a little bit of suspended disbelief, that what you’re looking at isn’t, in fact, real or possible,” he said.
Referring to one of his more popular paintings of a lone bison standing in an empty convenience store parking lot and staring at an ice machine, Chupik says, “I think the main thing I tried to do is make things that might be improbable possible.” Certainly, there could be a world where a mammoth bison gazes upon a glowing ice machine, but would there be?
Many of Kevin’s characters — mostly
cowboys and at least one buffalo — have a faraway feel to them, but their placement in a classically vintage mid-century modern aesthetic makes them as familiar as your childhood lunchbox. For this reason, Chupik’s art is approachable and likable. He recently hit the Instagram algorithmic jackpot, gaining several thousand new fans in a short amount of time, and nudging him into the category of “micro-influencer,” a distinction of which Kevin’s deeply skeptical. For better or worse, the social media platform is helping him sell paintings directly to collectors, skipping the gallery step altogether.
Like a good movie, viewing a good painting can transport you. But how about the act of creating one? “It’s my passport to access,” Chupik says. “And it’s kind of liberating in that way. I’m not restrained from any corner of the West in that regard, whether it’s Eastern Oregon or Southern Colorado or, you know, rolling hills on Montana. It’s a time period that goes between the mid-1800s all the way up to our present time. And in the way that Photoshop and Procreate work, I can place myself contextually in that area, I think largely because I know those tactile responses [of the West], the feelings. I know what it’s like — the crunch of the ground, the smell of the air, all those things. The nostalgia is so visceral to me. It’s probably the thing that keeps me going back. Really the desire to try and transport people along with me, like ‘come along!’ It’s more like I’m a tour guide in that way, and I’m sharing what I find to be very important.”
To see his work, head to his website kevinchupik.com or follow along on Instagram @ kevinchupik.
www.barbaramauldinart.com • www.chuckmauldin.com
The Mauldins met when Chuck was a teaching assistant in an organic chemistry class and Barbara was a student, studying biology. At the time they didn’t know they both began painting as children. Now they are married and share a studio.
Barbara’s work is impressionistic and focuses on color. She is especially fond of painting prickly pear cactus.
“Central Texas has a great variety of colors. We get a beautiful spring green, then all the flowers arrive in spring, and early summer brings cactus blooms. In autumn we discover oaks, sycamores and cypress along the creeks and rivers, sporting fall color,” she said.
Chuck’s paintings explore light, using Hill Country livestock, barns and scenery as subject matter. His training
as a research chemist fuels his artwork.
“I think the connection between the two is a strong curiosity, a willingness to try new things even when the outcome may be in doubt,” he said.
Both Mauldins are members of Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionists Society. Both have also participated in national juried competitions, and both have had paintings printed on the cover of the Art Guide.
For more information about either Barbara or Chuck’s work, contact Gallery 330.
“We’re very happy to be represented by such a wonderful gallery on the Main Street of Fredericksburg,” Chuck said.
244 West Main Street • 210-710-6305 Gallery: www.vintagetexaspaintings.com • Estate sales: www.cmestatesales.com
VintageTexasPaintings@gmail.com
Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., after hours by appointmen
Charles Morin Fine Art is a second location for Charlie Morin, whose other gallery is in San Antonio, within walking distance of the McNay Art Museum. A frame shop is available only at the San Antonio location. If visitors to the Fredericksburg gallery are interested in having a piece of artwork framed, Morin is happy to work with them, although samples are not available on site.
Morin owns more than 1,400 highly collectible paintings, and 95% of the work displayed in the galleries belongs to him. He says guests don’t need to know a lot about art to appreciate what he carries.
“I sell art by famous dead people,” Morin said. “My specialty is G. Harvey.”
The Fredericksburg gallery includes paintings by Texas legends, such as Porfirio Salinas, Everett Spruce, Julian Onderdonk and his father, Robert Jenkins Onderdonk. Morin also carries work by Janet Lippincott and Birger Sandzén, and he works with many living artists, including Martin Grelle, a member of the Cowboy Artists of America, and Steve Forbis, whose colored pencil drawings look like photographs. Morin’s collection displayed in Fredericksburg includes 19th century Texas pottery and handmade Texas furniture.
1550 Bandera Highway, Kerrville, TX 78028 • 830-896-2553
www.museumofwesternart.com
assistant@museumofwesternart.com
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The legend of the West lives on at The Museum of Western Art, which grew out of the Cowboy Artists of America, an invitation-only group. Sculptor Jason Scull is the resident artist, working in a studio on the grounds. Just step on the porch and knock on the sliding glass door to say hello.
The museum’s permanent collection includes 750 paintings and sculptures by artists working from the mid-20th century through today. Artifacts, including knives, guns and saddles, are also on display. The interactive Journey West exhibition in the Children’s Gallery allows kids to dress in period clothing, climb aboard a Conestoga wagon and
sit inside a tipi. The Masel S. Quinn Pavilion overlooks the city of Kerrville and hosts outdoor events and educational activities.
Many authors have worked in the museum’s non-circulating library, the Griff Carnes Research Center, including James Michener, for “Texas,” and Larry McMurtry, for “Lonesome Dove.”
The museum was the last structure designed by noted Texas architect O’Neil Ford. The Fred Fellows life-size bronze “An Honest Day’s Work” is the museum’s most-photographed item.
Bring the family the last Saturday of the month for Family Free Day. Check the website for upcoming events.
7991 Ranch Road 965 • 830-321-7991
enchantedfredericksburgranch.com
Open Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment
Located on Highway 965, gallery owners Holly and Paul Simonette wanted to create something in Fredericksburg that didn’t exist. Holly likes to say Purple Shack Makers Gallery is “your funky art experience on the way to Enchanted Rock.”
The gallery features fine art and craft, including jewelry, pottery, felt sculpture, notecards and more. Guests can relax and enjoy the beauty of the Texas Hill Country on the 22 acres that encompasses Enchanted Fredericksburg Ranch, including relaxing in the pollinator garden, certified by the Native Plant Society.
Holly is a fiber artist who started weaving when a friend gave her a loom.
She apprenticed with an artist in San Diego and learned to combine textured yarn to make woven accessories and clothing.
“I like to show people what goes into making clothes,” she said.
Her husband, Paul, is a glassblower. After a career as a firefighter he took lessons in glassblowing and found a new hobby.
At the end of last year Purple Shack opened a glass-blowing hot shop, where visitors can watch glass art being made. In 2023 guests can participate in glass-blowing experiences of their own. Check the website for details.
832 & 838 Water Street, Kerrville, TX 78028 • 830-895-5184
www.riversedgegallery.net
Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment.
Debbie and Mike Wilson own Rivers Edge, “The Jewel of Kerrville.” The 20,000-square-foot gallery also offers fine art printing and custom framing. The Wilsons can make copies of photographs or paintings and print them on fine art canvas or paper. They also clean and repair oil paintings.
“I’m not trying to be an upper-end gallery. I want to be a middle-class gallery, where they walk in and the artwork is affordable,” Debbie Wilson said. “We’re the best-kept secret in Kerrville.”
Rivers Edge represents about 30 artists, including painters, sculptors and jewelry-makers. The gallery’s eclectic offerings include traditional and contemporary works.
Wilson specializes in conservation of family heirlooms, priceless art and vintage photographs.
“I do 3-D objects, like flags, Army uniforms. My favorite one was a CIA agent’s guns and handcuffs and badges,” Wilson said. “I do a lot of things that other frame shops have no idea how to do. When I frame it, you can’t even tell how it’s attached.”
She loves hearing the stories customers bring with their valued heirlooms and the trust they place in Rivers Edge to preserve their treasures.
“We try to save our customers as much money as possible but give them the art they deserve,” Wilson said.
PO Box 1631, Fredericksburg, 78624 • 830-342-7161 westerngalleries.com
info@westerngalleries.com to make an appointment view art in person
Western Galleries is a growing online art gallery. It includes work by Ida Lee Busby, Louise C Murphy, JoAnne Spencer, Robert Spencer, Allen Turk, and founder Kathy Weigand.
Weigand grew up on a Fredericksburg ranch, where her family’s quarter horses and Hereford cattle were the favorite artistic subjects of her youth. The simple Western lifestyle is part of Weigand’s roots and is often reflected in her artwork. Favorite subjects include the American West, Native Americans and local Texas Hill Country landscapes.
ART
artwork.
She was awarded the prestigious Master of Photography degree by the Professional Photographers of America, the oldest and largest photography association in the country. Her images have earned awards at the state and regional levels, and several have earned the highest individual award given during The Print Center’s ANNUAL International Competition. Her work has also been displayed at Imaging USA photography conference.
Her images have been printed and used in large corporate and small business marketing, as well as in book and magazine publications. Clients and collectors across the country have collected her signed
Spring: April 1-2 & 8-9
Fall: November 11-12
As an advocate for wild horses, Weigand donates part of the proceeds from her wild horse and equine art sales to nonprofits dedicated to protecting America’s remaining wild horses.
“I’m not trying to be an upper-end gallery. I want to be a middle-class gallery, where they walk in and the artwork is affordable,” Debbie Wilson said. “We’re the best-kept secret in Kerrville.”
Rivers Edge represents about 30 artists, including painters, sculptors and jewelry-makers. The gallery’s eclectic offerings include traditional and contemporary works.
idea how to do. When I frame it, you can’t even tell how it’s attached.”
She loves hearing the stories customers bring with their valued heirlooms and the trust they place in Rivers Edge to preserve their treasures.
“We try to save our customers as much money as possible but give them the art they deserve,” Wilson said.
832 & 838 Water Street, Kerrville, TX 78028 • 830-895-5184 www.riversedgegallery.net
Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment.
PO Box 1631, Fredericksburg, 78624 • 830-342-7161 westerngalleries.com info@westerngalleries.com to make an appointment view art in person
Western Galleries is a growing online art gallery. It includes work by Ida Lee Busby, Louise C Murphy, JoAnne Spencer, Robert Spencer, Allen Turk, and founder Kathy Weigand.
Debbie and Mike Wilson own Rivers Edge, “The Jewel of Kerrville.” The 20,000-square-foot gallery also offers fine art printing and custom framing. The Wilsons can make copies of photographs or paintings and print them on fine art canvas or paper. They also clean and repair oil paintings.
“I’m not trying to be an upper-end gallery. I want to be a middle-class gallery, where they walk in and the artwork is affordable,” Debbie Wilson said. “We’re the best-kept secret in Kerrville.”
Weigand grew up on a Fredericksburg ranch, where her family’s quarter horses and Hereford cattle were the favorite artistic subjects of her youth. The simple Western lifestyle is part of Weigand’s roots and is often reflected in her artwork. Favorite subjects include the American West, Native Americans and local Texas Hill Country landscapes.
Rivers Edge represents about 30 artists, including painters, sculptors and jewelry-makers. The gallery’s eclectic offerings include traditional and contemporary works.
Her images have been printed and used in large corporate and small business marketing, as well as in book and magazine publications. Clients and collectors across the country have collected her signed
Wilson specializes in conservation of family heirlooms, priceless art and vintage photographs.
artwork.
She was awarded the prestigious Master of Photography degree by the Professional Photographers of America, the oldest and largest photography association in the country. Her images have earned awards at the state and regional levels, and several have earned the highest individual award given during The Print Center’s ANNUAL International Competition. Her work has also been displayed at Imaging USA photography conference.
“I do 3-D objects, like flags, Army uniforms. My favorite one was a CIA agent’s guns and handcuffs and badges,” Wilson said. “I do a lot of things that other frame shops have no idea how to do. When I frame it, you can’t even tell how it’s attached.”
She loves hearing the stories customers bring with their valued heirlooms and the trust they place in Rivers Edge to preserve their treasures.
“We try to save our customers as much money as possible but give them the art they deserve,” Wilson said.
As an advocate for wild horses, Weigand donates part of the proceeds from her wild horse and equine art sales to nonprofits dedicated to protecting America’s remaining wild horses.
LocalgalleriesdrawvisitorstotheTexasHillCountry.
PO Box 1631, Fredericksburg, 78624 • 830-342-7161 westerngalleries.com info@westerngalleries.com to make an appointment view art in person
810 & 808 North Llano Street • 830-456-1097
theyellowdoorstudio.com
Western Galleries is a growing online art gallery. It includes work by Ida Lee Busby, Louise C Murphy, JoAnne Spencer, Robert Spencer, Allen Turk, and founder Kathy Weigand.
• info@theyellowdoorstudio.com Schedule available online
“The story of our little studio is simple,” said Camille Cohn, owner of The Yellow Door and one of its instructors. “We wanted to create community around art. Young, old, experienced or novice — all are welcome. We hope our studio educates, inspires and enriches our community.”
Weigand grew up on a Fredericksburg ranch, where her family’s quarter horses and Hereford cattle were the favorite artistic subjects of her youth. The simple Western lifestyle is part of Weigand’s roots and is often reflected in her artwork. Favorite subjects include the American West, Native Americans and local Texas Hill Country landscapes.
artwork.
along with kids’ camps. Private parties for Canvas Painting or Pottery Painting can be scheduled with a phone call.
Cohn expanded into The Studio Next Door, providing classes in clay along with open studio hours.
For adults, The Yellow Door offers Saturday evening Art & Vino classes, wine glass painting, workshops taught by local artists, art history classes, DIY wood projects and plein air painting experiences around Fredericksburg and at local wineries. For children, The Yellow Door provides after-school and homeschool art programs for students from kindergarten through high school,
She was awarded the prestigious Master of Photography degree by the Professional Photographers of America, the oldest and largest photography association in the country. Her images have earned awards at the state and regional levels, and several have earned the highest individual award given during The Print Center’s ANNUAL International Competition. Her work has also been displayed at Imaging USA photography conference.
“The addition includes a ceramics studio that offers Paint Your Own Pottery and memberships for people wanting to practice hand building and wheel throwing,” she said.
Her images have been printed and used in large corporate and small business marketing, as well as in book and magazine publications. Clients and collectors across the country have collected her signed
As an advocate for wild horses, Weigand donates part of the proceeds from her wild horse and equine art sales to nonprofits dedicated to protecting America’s remaining wild horses.
All the activities at The Yellow Door and The Studio Next Door are designed around one theme: Art Makes Me Happy. Contact Cohn for information about classes or to schedule private parties and team-building events.
A listing of artists from featured local galleries.
Kristin Ashman
Ann Baltzer
Jan Banfield
Robert Behan
Annette Bennett
Bonnie Bondurant
Vee Ann Brodnax
Ruby Lee Clark
Nancy Coon
Becky Copeland
Stephanie Cox
Sophie Cuppes
Caroline Dechert
Nora Dempsey
Virginia deWolf
Maryneil Dance
Ann Douzat
Jane Drynan
Frieda Duggan
Penny Duncan
Loretta Eckert
Donna Els
Diana Faulkner
Crystal Fox
Dalton Fromme
Beth Garrett
Robert Ghiselli
Ruby Annette Gonzalez
Linda Hall
Truby Hardin
Nancy Hardison
Nan Henke
Brenda Hild
Svetlana Hipsky
Virginia Howell
Beth Hughes
Ann Jackson
Stacy Jenschke
Mary Helen Johnson
Peg Joyce
Janet Justice
Sheila Kale
Donna Lafferty
Marc Land
Bridget Langdale
Grace Larson
Mary Lee
Marion Loucks
Kathy Lux
Joyce Malatek
Tom Martin
Deb Mason
Barbara Mauldin
Susanne McComack
Pat Miller
Jan Miller
Tom Miller
Suzanne Morhart
Louise Murphy
Nancy Natho
Karen Oldham
Edyth O’Neill
Melissa Opio
Cathy Pankratz
Marsha Pape
Christa Peyton
Martha Roland
Laura Ronstadt
Jeanne Rothberg
Donald “Kaylen” Savoie
Mary Kaye Sawyer-Morse
Johnnette Scheuer
Alice Segner
Carol Seminara
Keith Shafer
Mary Simmons
Nancy Skoog
Linda Smith
Bob Spencer
Joanne Spencer
Melissa Starry
Bernadine Swanzy
Emily Taylor
Sue Thompson
Susan Crawford Tracy
Ron Vantz
Marija Vojkovich
Patricia Weeden
Kathy Weigand
Pat Wilkins
Carolyn Wilkinson
Fredda Williams
Fred Witters
Richard Williamson
Bonnie Woods
Kristine Ziems
Robert Boppel
Teri Green
Truby Hardin
Nancy Hardison
Nan Henke
Svetlana Hipsky
Peggy Joyce
Chris Johnson
Mary Lee
Joyce Malatek
Deb Mason
Michael McAleer
Jan Miller
Tom Miller
Mallory Agerton
Blair Atherholt
John Bennett
Carla Bosch
Lon Brauer
Larisa Brechun
Julie Davis
Terry Donahue
Bill Farnsworth
John Austin Hanna
Cristall Harper
G. Harvey
Susan Hotard
Kate Kiesler
Stevie Jo Lake
Nancy lilly
Denise LaRue Mahlke
Chuck Mauldin
Barbara Mauldin
Bill Mittag
Kathie Odom
John Rasberry
Wanda Choate
Tony Eubanks
John Fawcett
Glenna Goodacre
Robert Pummill
Jerry Ricketson
Cathy Pankratz
Donna Roche
Keith Shafer
Melissa Starry
Gayle Wilson
Lee Wilson
Kristine Ziems
Sherry Salari Sander
Stefan Savides
Allison Leigh Smith
C.S. Talley
Nancy Tankersley
Ezra Tucker
Nelson Tucker
Jeff Williams
Todd A. Williams
Sara (Ahearn) Winters
Marie Wise
Joseph Sulkowski
Sonya Terpening
Cyrus Asfary
Roy Andersen
Carolyn Anderson
Dan Bodelson
Phil Bob Borman
Jeremy Browne
Tom Browning
Mary Ross Buchholz
George Bumann
Scott Burdick
Nancy Bush
Jill Carver
Cheri Christensen
Douglas Clark
John Coleman
Nicholas Coleman
Mick Doellinger
Tom Dorr
Leslie Duke
Michelle Dunaway
Teresa Elliott
Jim Eppler
John Fawcett
Daniel Gerhartz
Walt Gonske
Pat Green
Bruce Greene
David Griffin
Brian Grimm
Bob Guelich
Abigail Gutting
Eldridge Hardie
G. Harvey Estate
Mark Haworth
Qiang Huang
Julee Hutchison
Oreland C Joe, Sr.
Francois Koch
Damian Lechoszest
David A Leffel
Jhenna Quinn Lewis
Calvin Liang
Richard Loffler
Susan Lyon
Kyle Ma
D. La Rue Mahlke Estate
Sherrie McGraw
Jeff Merrill
Herb Mignery Estate
Robert Moore
James Morgan
Tibor Nagy
Kay Northup
George Northup
JoAnn Peralta
Joan Potter
Tony Pro
Robert Pummill
Mary Qian
Robert Reynolds
David Frederick Riley
Laura Robb
James Robinson
Robert Rodriguez
Gladys Roldan-de-Moras
Bill Schenck
Lindsay Scott
Mian Situ
Aleksander Titovets
Lyuba Titovets
Hsin-Yao Tseng
Clive Tyler
Michael Ome Untiedt
Ann Kraft Walker
Jeffrey Watts
Brittany Weistling
Fritz White
Jeremy Winborg
David Yorke
Jie Wei Zhou
Paulette Alsworth
MaryAnn Brummer
Cliff Cavin
John Dormer
Ida Lee Busby
Louise C. Murphy
JoAnne Spencer
Robert Spencer
Colin Turner
Mike Wilson
Allen Turk
Kathy Weigand