Save the Date!

February 21 and 22nd....for the opening of Alpine's Trappings of Texas and the 28th Annual Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering on the campus of Sul Ross State University!

Guy and Pip Gillette at the
Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering
The daytime sessions of the Poetry Gathering are free (with the exception of the occasional special event), and are held in classrooms. Three to four performers share these 50 minute sessions, with nine to ten sessions running concurrently.

At 7pm on Friday and Saturday, two hour performances are held in Marshall Auditorium, showcasing featured performers. There is a $12.50 charge for these events. Attendees may also support the gathering by becoming a sponsor or co-sponsor of a performer, or simply by purchasing an event pin for $10.

The Gathering kicks off each morning at 7:30am, with a Chuckwagon Breakfast ($5) held at Poet’s Grove in the Kokernot Park. More specific information on when and where performers will appear each day can be found in the Official Program, available in several locations for $1.00 each. Beginning Thursday at noon, night show tickets and programs may be purchased at the University Center on the Sul Ross campus, the official headquarters and information center during the gathering.

Visit the Gathering's website for more information! 

“Sky High on Glass Eye Under Two Sky”
© Buckeye Blake 2011

Trappings of Texas at the Museum of the Big Bend

The same weekend, the Museum of the Big Bend opens their wonderful Custom Gear / Western Art Exhibit & Sale! 

For the past 28 years, the Museum of the Big Bend has exhibited some of the very best cowboy gear and fine Western Art in the longest running event of its kind in the country. That weekend, there's a Preview Party on Friday; and a Sale, Reception and Dance on Saturday.

Museum admission is free, although some events that weekend will have an admission fee.  Stay tuned to the Museum's website for more information!  

The Trappings of Texas exhibition will remain on display at the Museum of the Big Bend through April 13th...don't miss it!

Custom Gear / Western Art Exhibit & Sale. For the past 28 years, the Museum of the Big Bend has exhibited some of the very best cowboy gear and fine Western Art in the longest running event of its kind in the country. Opening Weekend, Feb 21-22, features a Preview Party on Friday, and a Sale, Reception and Dance on Saturday. - See more at: http://texasmountaintrail.com/events/alpine-28th-annual-trappings-texas#sthash.NArNl25L.dpuf

5 Great Places to let your Kids Run Off Some Energy in the Texas Mountains. Then Step Inside and Learn!

When you're traveling, sometimes the kids just have SO MUCH ENERGY, and you want a safe place where they can RUN off some steam, right?

Try these:

County Courthouse Squares.  We've got some beauties....the Presidio County Courthouse in Marfa, the Jeff Davis County Courthouse in Fort Davis, and the Brewster County Courthouse in Alpine.  All have well-kept lawns, and locals enjoy them as family and dog-friendly places.   Step inside each of the courthouses and enjoy the architecture, and local history photos and displays.

1.  Presidio County Courthouse in Marfa

2.  Gazebo outside the Brewster County Courthouse
in Alpine

3.  Jeff Davis County Courthouse in Fort Davis

4. Parade Ground of Fort Davis National Historic Site.  The lawn here probably isn't watered as often as our courthouse squares, but there's LOTS of running space for the kids to enjoy.  And, there are shaded benches where tired parents can sit and rest.  When everyone's ready, the historic fort is a gem and the family will enjoy learning about military life in the 19th century. 

5.  The shaded campus of Sul Ross State University in Alpine, just outside the Museum of the Big Bend.  Let them run off some steam on campus, then head inside the museum for some great kid-friendly and interactive exhibits on the history of the entire Big Bend Region.

Remingtons Coming to Alpine!

The Charge of the Rough Riders
by Frederic Remington
to be shown at the Museum of the Big Bend

Legendary Western artist Frederic Remington’s works – including an original painting on tour for the first time – will be featured in an upcoming exhibit at the Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University.

                “Treasures from the Frederic Remington Art Museum,” including the original painting, “The Charge of the Rough Riders,” opens Sept. 19 as part of a gala weekend. Painted in 1899, “The Charge of the Rough Riders” commemorated the charge of Teddy Roosevelt’s troops up Cuba’s San Juan Hill during the Spanish American War. The epic original has been on display in the Frederic Remington Art Museum, Ogdensburg, N.Y., and will be on tour for the first time.

                Opening events will include scholarly presentations and lectures, dinners, receptions and live and silent auctions at various locations, including the museum, Sul Ross, Fort Davis National Historic Site, the Gage Hotel, Marathon, and Alpine’s Holland Hotel.

                This historic exhibit, which will be open to the public from Sept. 21-Dec. 8, will display a large number of Frederic Remington’s best known works, including the iconic sculpture, Broncho Buster and The Charge of the Rough Riders.  In celebration of this exhibit, four of the nation’s leading Remington scholars will be presenting new scholarship and research during the course of the weekend’s events.  Presenters include Peter Hassrick, Dr. Ron Tyler, Dr. B. Byron Price and Michael Duty.

Horse Study

                “Remington is the biggest name in Western Art and this is the biggest art event in our history,” said Liz Jackson, Museum director. “We are not only bringing the never-before toured painting, The Charge of the Rough Riders to our museum but we will be bringing together the best in Remington scholars.  This event is significant for the museum, Sul Ross State University, and the Big Bend region as a whole.”

                Sul Ross President Dr. Ricardo Maestas said, “Frederic Remington is considered perhaps the most influential and important artist to portray the American West. The Sul Ross community is pleased to host this monumental exhibition in our award-winning museum facilities.”             

Ticketed events for opening weekend are as follows:

                Thursday, Sept. 19: Speakers and Sponsors dinner, 6 p.m.“Racism & Patronage,” presented by Peter Hassrick..Hosted by The Gage Hotel, Mary Jon & J.P. Bryan.

                Friday, Sept. 20:  3:30 - 5:30 p.m., Frederic Remington lectures,“Frederic Remington’s Vision of “The Man with the Bark On,” presented by Dr. Ron Tyler; “Remington as an Equine and Equestrian Artist,” presented by Dr. B. Byron Price; Vic and Mary Jane Morgan University Center, Sul Ross.

                6-8 p.m.: Exhibit opening and reception, “Treasures from The Frederic Remington Art Museum,” Museum of the Big Bend.            

Saturday, Sept. 21: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Private tour and BBQ lunch,  The Fort Davis National Historic Site, Fort Davis.                             

                6 p.m.: Frederic Remington Gala, cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions, music, lecture, “Frederic Remington’s Legacy,” by Michael Duty; The Holland Hotel, Alpine.

                “Treasures from The Frederic Remington Art Museum” exhibit and event are being made possible through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mallory, The Holland Hotel, and West Texas National Bank.  Additional sponsors include The Gage Hotel, Mary Jon & J.P. Bryan and Carol and Pete Peterson and many others.  Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

                Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Admission and parking are free. Enter through Entrance B off of Harrison Road.  Private tours may be scheduled in advance.  For more information, visit www.sulross.edu/museum or call (432) 837-8143.