Beauty and Mild Tension in 'The New American West' at Museum of the Big Bend
The exhibition 'The New American West – By Brush and by Bronze' at the Museum of the Big Bend in Alpine, Texas, pairs Kathleen Frank's dreamlike oil landscapes with Mark Yale Harris's whimsical bronze sculptures. Frank's works like 'On the Way to Santa Elena Canyon' and 'From Plaza Blanco' blend dreamscape and landscape, while Harris's pieces include playful bears and 'Awakening III Bleue', a kneeling female figure. The show's dynamic tension arises from contrasting colors and mediums, with Frank's 'Buffalo Roundup' introducing a hint of historical unease by depicting vaqueros herding bison, alluding to the slaughter of over 30 million bison between 1870-1884. The exhibition runs through May 30, 2026.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'The New American West – By Brush and by Bronze' at Museum of the Big Bend in Alpine, Texas.
- Features works by Kathleen Frank (paintings) and Mark Yale Harris (sculptures).
- Frank's paintings include 'On the Way to Santa Elena Canyon' and 'From Plaza Blanco'.
- Harris's sculptures include 'Awakening III Bleue' and dancing bear pieces.
- Frank's 'Buffalo Roundup' depicts vaqueros herding bison, referencing the 1870-1884 slaughter of over 30 million bison.
- Exhibition on view through May 30, 2026.
- Review published on Glasstire on May 16, 2026.
- Show described as accessible to nature-loving tourists, balancing beauty with subtle tension.
Entities
Artists
- Kathleen Frank
- Mark Yale Harris
Institutions
- Museum of the Big Bend
- Glasstire
Locations
- Alpine
- Texas
- United States
- Santa Elena Canyon
- Plaza Blanco