Dallas Heritage Village invites the community to a weekend of art and activities at “Brush with History: Following Frank Reaugh,” Oct. 4-6, 2013, 1515 S. Harwood, Dallas, TX 75215. The event will honor Dallas artist Frank Reaugh (1860-1945), the dean of plein air painting. (En plein air means “in the open air" and is used to describe the act of painting outdoors.)
Artists from throughout the state have been invited to submit plein air paintings to a juried show, which will be displayed in Browder Springs Hall. In addition, artists were also invited to visit and paint at the Village. The show, highlighting the works of several Texas painters, will be up throughout the weekend with works available for purchase through November 1.
A complete list of participating artists will be released in September, and a portion of proceeds will benefit the Village.
A gifted artist, teacher, and inventor, Reaugh influenced the development of countless artists and students in Dallas and throughout Texas. A founder of the Dallas Art Society, which eventually evolved into the Dallas Museum of Art, Reaugh was a dedicated teacher who led annual painting trips to West Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. A champion of plein air painting and a master with pastels, Reaugh is primarily known for his studies of the Texas landscape and longhorn cattle.
The weekend’s events kick off with an opening reception on Friday, Oct. 4, 7 – 9 p.m. in Browder Springs Hall. Admission is FREE and food and wine are available for purchase. Works will be for sale with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Village.
“Wake up and Paint the Dawn!” on Saturday, October 5! Gates open at 6:30 a.m. (sunrise at 7:20 a.m.) with free admission for this plein air competition in the spirit of Frank Reaugh’s famous field trips out West.
Participants will have three hours to paint the village while taking advantage of the morning light. Artists must have completed their paintings by 10 a.m. Photographers are also welcome. All painted works entered into the show will go on display for the weekend and will be available for purchase. Visitors are welcome to come watch the artists in action.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, (free with admission of $9 adults; $7 seniors (65+); and $5 for children ages 4-12.) learn about the interesting history of color and making handmade pastels just as frontier artists out on the Texas prairie learned to do. At 1 p.m., join Lindy Severns, a gifted pastellist and featured artist for Brush with History, for a plein air demonstration and talk, titled "Threading a Needle While Riding a Bicycle: The Challenges of Painting en plein air." Severns, awarded the Best of Show prize at Dallas Heritage Village’s inaugural art event in 2012, will have five paintings in this year’s exhibition and sale. lindyseverns.com
At 2:30 p.m., join Michael Duty, principal of Michael Duty Fine Art, LLC, and founding director of the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art of Indianapolis, for a lecture on Frank Reaugh’s career, titled “Light on the Plains: The Art and Life of Frank Reaugh.” Free with admission.
On Sunday, Oct. 6, Family Past times features Brush with History festivities from noon – 4 p.m. Kids are invited to gest messy as they learn about the history of color and make their own pastels and paint with pastels and chalk. Kids (4-12) have free admission.
“We are so excited about this year’s art event honoring Reaugh and hope the variety of related events and activities provide something everyone can enjoy,” added Melissa Prycer, interim executive director, Dallas Heritage Village. “It has been so much fun over the last few months to see artists set up all over the Village painting some of our historic 38 structures. Their work is amazing, and this will be a show everyone will enjoy. So bring the family, help us turn the village into a strolling art gallery with sidewalk paintings using chalk pastels, and learn a bit about an amazing and talented artist who has influenced much of the art and culture in Dallas and Texas today.”
For more information, visit dallasheritagevillage.org or call 214-421-5141.
About Dallas Heritage Village
Dallas Heritage Village, located at Old City Park, is a nationally accredited history museum, depicting life in Dallas from 1840-1910. It is one of only five museums in the Dallas area to have this distinction. The grounds showcase 38 historic structures, including log cabins, the pre-Civil War Millermore home, a Victorian Main Street, a railroad complex, an 1860s farmstead with livestock, a 19th century church, school and more. Visitors discover how crops were grown, animals cared for and how family living progressed from log cabins to grand manors and Victorian homes. Dallas Heritage Village is supported, in part, by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and the Texas Commission on the Arts as well as individual and group donations. Dallas Heritage Village was nominated in 2011 and 2012 by D Magazine as one of the top Dallas-area family attractions. It is located at 1515 South Harwood, one block south of Farmers Market in Downtown Dallas. Hours of operation are Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday, noon – 4 p.m. The Village is closed the months of January and August. Regular admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors 65+ and $5 for children ages 4-12. Children under 4 and members of Dallas Heritage Village are admitted free of charge. For more information call 214-421-5141 or visit www.DallasHeritageVillage.org