Show Preview | Woolaroc Retrospective - Southwest Art Magazine

Woolaroc Museum, Bartlesville, OK
October 16-December 31

Paul Moore, Offering to the Sun, bronze, 15 x 40 x 15.

Solo retrospective exhibitions for highly regarded mid- or late-career artists are not uncommon, but a joint retrospective for multiple artists is rare. That’s why the Woolaroc Retrospective Exhibit and Sale at the Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve is such a unique—and exciting—event to attend.

This year’s show features nine well-known western artists: painters William Acheff, Scott Christensen, Josh Elliott, Sherrie McGraw, John Moyers, Grant Redden, and Matt Smith, and sculptors Paul Moore and Peregrine O’Gormley. Each was selected by the Woolaroc team to exhibit seven works from earlier in their careers, which have been borrowed from private or public collections; alongside the retrospective pieces are seven recent works, which are for sale. Viewers get to see a large body of work from each accomplished artist, including a progression throughout his or her career. At the same time, attendees also have the opportunity to compare and contrast the styles and techniques of these contemporary artists. Subjects include landscapes, still lifes, Native Americans, cowboys, wildlife, and more.

: John Moyers, Buffalo Days, oil, 36 x 36.

: Grant Redden, Stirring Up the Locals, oil, 28 x 30.

: Josh Elliott, Vermilion Variety, oil, 40 x 40.

: Sherrie McGraw, The Playthings of Time, oil, 30 x 28.

A full day of ticketed events is planned for Saturday, October 16, including artists’ lectures in the museum and lunch in the historic Woolaroc Lodge ranch house, which was the home of oil mogul Frank Phillips and his wife Jane. The day concludes with the evening reception and sale of 63 works through a ballot-box drawing. Any remaining works are available to the public for purchase beginning Sunday, October 17. All works remain on view at the museum through December 31.

The Woolaroc was established in 1925 and has been beloved by Oklahoma residents for close to a century. But it wasn’t until the museum started hosting national shows five years ago that it found its place on the map. The Retrospective—which was the brainchild of show director Dean Zervas and the late western art collector John Geraghty—has certainly helped to make that happen. “I wish I could take credit for the conception of this show, but it is really the work of Dean and the committee,” says Woolaroc CEO Bob Fraser, who has been with the museum for 16 years. “We couldn’t be prouder of the caliber of artists exhibiting in this show and what it has done to help bring more attention and awareness to the history and mission of the Woolaroc.” Fraser notes that a unique experience awaits show attendees when they visit the museum and preserve. “It’s like going back in time,” he says, describing the museum’s collection of western art and artifacts as well as the 3,700 acres of the surrounding wildlife preserve nestled in the Osage Hills of northeastern Oklahoma. –Allison Malafronte