SMA’s APPLAUSE Series will begin its Western Heritage event Saturday, November 7 with an Art Show by Western painter Tom Fuller in the Henderson Gallery at 6 pm. The artist talk and opening show will be for APPLAUSE Members only. The exhibit will be opened to the public on Sundays 2-4 pm, and Tuesdays and Thursdays 4-6pm through November 22. The Jo and Tom Henderson Gallery is located at 201 Fourth in Sweetwater, Texas. Art Show passes for non-members are $5 each at the door.
Art Force Committee member Terry Blankenship discovered the artist and recommended him to APPLAUSE Director Mila Gibson and the committee. According to Gay Young, Art Force Chair, “We were all excited when Terry shared photos of his paintings!” Interestingly Blankenship had met him at Steve and Jan Smith’s son’s wedding. The Smiths along with Dr. Bud and Sherie Alldredge are Event Underwriters for Western Heritage.
Tom Fuller had this to say about his career as a Western painter,
“I am a native of Wichita, Kansas. The history of the Cowboy legacy is part of my family culture. Stories of Belle Starr, the Dalton Brothers etc. are handed down from generation to generation. My grandparents lived during that time, and in the same area as these now famous people.
As a child, my first images were of horses and cowboys. It was natural, and I knew it was a part of my lineage. I sat at home, constantly working on, and honing my skills, it became my life. Never keeping track of the hours, days, weeks, months and years. I learned by trial and error how to portray the character of the cowboy, the unspoken language of the horse, tack and its relationship between rider and mount.
Everyone is born to do something, and being a Cowboy artist is what, and who I am. The purpose of my work is to present a gateway for you (viewer) to step into that moment and feel its soul. Not just an outward experience, but also an inward significance. “
Fuller’s works have not only been featured in numerous art shows, but in American Cowboy online magazine, Art of the Horse online magazine, American Art Collector Magazine (more than once) , and Western Art Collector Magazine (also more than once).
Event Underwriters for the event are the Smiths and Alldredges. Event Sponsor is Texas National Bank. Event Co-sponsors are Big Country Electric Cooperative and Big Boy’s Bar-B-Que. Season underwriter is BNSF Foundation. Lodging provided by Nolan County and Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce and the Smiths. For more information contact swtxauditorium@gmail.com or https://sweetwaterauditorium.org.