The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon opened its newly renovated art galleries at the Friends of Southwestern Art Annual Meeting on February 10.
The renovation created three new galleries and spurred the reinstallation of all the galleries. One of the galleries has been set aside for a former Clarendon artist.
The former Texas Gallery has become the H.D. Bugbee Gallery, named for the man who called this city home. The first installation in the newly created gallery features selections from the personal collection of Olive Vandruff (Mrs. H.D. Bugbee), a renowned Texas artist in her own right.
The former Eastern American and European Gallery has become the new Texas Gallery, a space nearly three times its former size, featuring Saltillo tile. Parts of the entrance vestibule (imported from England) were formerly in the now razed Herring Mansion. These architectural touches acknowledge the European roots of Texas and highlight the Society’s nationally recognized Texas collection.
The Western American Gallery has become the Southwestern Gallery. The rough-sawn pine floor and New Mexican architectural details add a new dimension to the Society’s Taos and Santa Fe collections.
The wall cases for decorative arts have been reinstalled with Indian arts. Silver, beadwork, baskets, and pottery comprise the new installation. Pieces are from the Bill Dee, Anna Wolfram Dove, Susan J. Allen, and Robert Tansill collections. The Furniture Gallery has also been reinstated, incorporating paintings into the overall design.
These changes were made possible by a generous grant from the Amos Molyneaux Trust. This is part of a three-fold plan for the Arts Wing to keep pace with the Museum’s $6.1 million renovation project, to emphasize the West in the Arts Wing and to exhibit more of the permanent collection.
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