Tonight, Thursday October 10 from 7-8pm, Bill and Linda Reaves will discuss the work on view at the Grace Museum in Abilene. This comes from a selection of work from their vast collection of 20th-century Texas artists, with a particular focus on the human figure. As many collectors do, Mr. and Mrs. Reaves have an intimate connection to the work in their collection; their talk will likely come with personal anecdotes and stories that will animate the work on view. This is a Texas art history through the lens of personal connection.
The exhibition includes well-known works by artists such as Kathleen Blackshear, Dixon Reeder, Stella Sullivan, Donald Vogel, Flora Reeder, Harold Bugbee, Cecil Casebier, Henry Gadbois, Edmund Kinzinger, Florence McClung, Leila McConnell, and Kermit Oliver.
Mr. and Mrs. Reaves have also contributed to the Texas art community as authors, guest curators, and organizational directors. Mr. Reaves served on the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Art League, and also served as Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA). He has also been an active member of collector societies in Austin and Houston. Both Reaves have served as guest curators and/or advisors for exhibitions in institutions such as the San Antonio Art League Museum, The Heritage Society-Houston, and The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. They’ve written numerous books and publications on Texas art and artists as well as establishing William Reaves Fine Art (now Foltz Fine Art), a Houston gallery specializing in Texas art.
The exhibition from their collection, titled Up Close and Personal: Portraits from the Reaves Collection of Texas Art, is on view at The Grace Museum in Abilene through January 18, 2020.
