Sherry Owens

S H E R R Y O W E N S

SHERRY OWENS

A S U RV E Y – RO O T E D I N T H E E A RT H

July 8 – September 5, 2010

WEST TEXAS TRIANGLE San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts The Grace Museum, Abilene The Old Jail Art Center, Albany Museum of the Southwest, Midland Ellen Noël Art Museum of the Permian Basin, Odessa

Foreword by Howard Taylor Essay – Sherry Owens: The Aquarium of the Mind

by Kathleen Whitney

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For my mother, Lennie Bailey, who has always stood beside me and encouraged my art-making.

Figure 1 COVER

Drought, 2010 Figure 2 INSIDE FRONT COVER AND FRONTISPIECE

Mantle, 2001 (detail) Figure 3 ON RIGHT

Flowering Cloud in the Night Sky, 2005

Over the years I have managed to stockpile a forest in my studio.

Surrounded by linear limbs, I feel as if I’m working inside a drawing.

Being immersed in my materials allows me to create from the nest, a place of refuge in my head.

A long walk into the woods is my most treasured source for inspiration.

L E N D E R S TO T H E E X H I B I T I O N Lennie Bailey, Dallas

Patricia B. Meadows, Dallas

Carol and Ken Bentley, San Antonio

Amy and Jules Monier, Dallas

Kathy and Chet Boortz, Dallas

Guillermo Nicolas, San Antonio

Roger Carroll, Dallas

Rocky Owens, Dallas

Barbara and Tom Chandler, San Antonio

Sherry Owens, Dallas

Joel Cooner, Dallas

Carolyn and Otis Parchman, San Antonio

Joel Cooner Gallery, Dallas

Becky and Ken Phillips, Dallas

Laura and Walter Elcock, Dallas and San Francisco

Karen and Cameron Rezai, Houston

David Gibson, Dallas Nancy and Tim Hanley, Dallas Sarah and Jeff Harkinson, Dallas Margo and Norman Kary, Plano

Bala Shagrithaya, Dallas Art Shirer, Dallas Jane and Allen Smith, Dallas Cindy and Bill Ward, Dallas C. Thomas Wright, San Antonio

Liz Kerrigan, Dallas Sharon and Gus Kopriva, Houston

This catalogue celebrates the achievement of Sherry Owens and documents the exhibition entitled Sherry Owens: A Survey – Rooted in the Earth at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts with companion exhibits at the four other museums of the West Texas Triangle, July 8 – September 5, 2010.

ISBN 978-0-615-38003-2 Copyright 2010 San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage or retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher. www.westtexastriangle.org San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts • One Love Street • San Angelo, Texas 76903 Phone: 325-653-3333 • Fax: 325-658-6800 • Email: museum@samfa.org • www.samfa.org

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The San Angelo Cultural Affairs Council has provided funding in support of this catalogue and exhibition.

Figure 4

alameda, 2001

FOREWORD

Sherry Owens is by my measure a giant among artists. Her physical presence may seem to belie that statement for she is a woman of average height and slender build. There are few people I have met however that match her energy, exuberance and rich unbounded imagination. The exhibit of Sherry’s work we are undertaking in the summer of 2010, under the auspices of a regional association of art museums called the West Texas Triangle, will be the third time we have exhibited Sherry Owens’ art. This is a clear indication of the great admiration we have for her.

The five art museums in West Texas who collaborate under the umbrella of the West Texas Triangle include The Grace Museum in Abilene, Museum of the Southwest in Midland, Ellen Noël Art Museum in Odessa, The Old Jail Art Center in Albany and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. We have banded together to create awareness of these remarkable institutions and the dynamic communities and region of which they are a part.

For the past four summers we have selected a single sculptor whom we wanted to focus on at our five venues. We have included the work of Jesus Moroles, Joe Barrington and James Surls. This is a unique approach of focusing on a single artist through five different institutions, each of which has a distinct institutional culture. It is an interesting process of jointly agreeing upon an artist we believe warrants this special level of attention.

The directors and curators of the five museums were unanimous in the decision to feature Sherry Owens. She is a prolific and widely collected artist who is represented in numerous private and public collections. It was a challenge to assemble the exhibition because she is so admired and her work does not remain in the studio for long. Fortunately there has been great enthusiasm on the part of the many people we have approached to lend pieces from their collections. This survey and attendant catalogue offer an opportunity to experience the remarkable breadth and beauty of her body of work.

Howard Taylor Director San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts

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SHERRY OWENS: The Aquarium of the Mind

by Kathleen Whitney

Owens’ work is dreamlike, magnetic and seductive.

Each sculpture is enclosed within an individual atmosphere of change, potential and the unknown. Her work represents the infinite continuation of nature, an attempt to record its meanings and appearances through the lens of her imagination. The onlooker is drawn in to her work by this quality of flux and reverie. Once bonded to Owens’ imagination, the viewer is given shifting glimpses of what her work offers: mutations, ghosts, masks, figures, a maze of detail, all growing and vanishing within her constructions. Her work is a kind of aquarium of the mind with all of these possibilities afloat within it. Each glance is different from the next, always shifting.

What the viewer sees is based on chance, contingent on proximity, the angle of the head, the number of people in the room. With no fixed point of view, the possibilities are oceanic in scope. Her use of light expands these changes and variations: light and shadow flickers over and through her surfaces, creating objects that are never static, never appear the same way twice. It’s not really possible to grasp each sculpture’s constellation of parts and stabilize them from a single view. Each of Owens’ sculptures is a collection, an arrangement of many discrete segments within a distinct system of organization.

The work is inseparable from and animated by her choice of material: discarded crepe myrtle branches. Crepe myrtle is hardy and fast growing; a woody bush many people mistakenly feel requires yearly trimming. The pruned branches are left at the curb for disposal; Owens harvests them from the pavement before the yard-waste trucks arrive: she refers to her materials as “recycled.” Where most people see a problem, Owens encounters an idea.

Others barely glance at a twig; Owens reads it like a letter; her work is what she mails back.

Owens also works in bronze and steel. During the bronze casting process, the crepe myrtle sculpture is burned out of a ceramic shell mold that surrounds

Figure 5

Every Breath You Take, 2009 (with detail)

the original form. She is involved throughout the process at the foundry, making changes and adjustments at various stages. It’s this careful attention that creates a unique bronze sculpture closely resembling its original organic appearance in wood.

Her welded steel forms relate to the crepe myrtle sculptures sharing the same sensibilities and attention to detail without being as visually complicated. The materials consist of structural elements such as I-beams and angle irons that have been recycled from demolition sites. Carving edges with a torch to alter the line and cutting away sections of the steel has enabled her to create a series of large outdoor sculptures.

One of her most spectacular wall pieces is Fall (Fig. 32, page 36). A demanding installation in its sheer numbers, as 9,707 individual strands of blackened steel wire converge to become a 17-foot waterfall. These steel lines dynamically cascade down the vertical surface of the wall in reaction to the physical force of gravity.

Owens’ work is both complex and intricate; the concerns that animate it are grounded in her perception of the beauty and fragility of the natural world. The way she fabricates her work is informed by the structure and logic of weaving. Her techniques mirror the intricacy and asymmetry of natural growth as well as its profound abstraction. The sculptures are accretions built piece by piece, they mirror the construction techniques used by nest, hive and burrowmakers. The branches are cut to desired lengths, shaped and held together with pegs made from new spring shoots. Owens sometimes works directly with roots and derives much of her imagery from densely interwoven natural forms like roots: she calls these “openweave” structures. Their physical and conceptual complexity is visible in her arrangements of interior and exterior surfaces: it’s hard to distinguish between the two, are they inside out? She frequently pares away the bark to reveal a bare surface that resembles both skin and muscles. This exposure is essential to the meaning of her work; its sensual and disordered surfaces create a new entity, a hybrid formed by the merger of nature with the human body.

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The 2000 installation “Mantle” and Owens’ 2009 piece, “Every Breath You Take” are two of many pieces that reflect her concerns about climate change and other studies of damage sustained by the natural environment.

Mantle (Fig. 2, inside front cover) consists of four discrete components:

Visual: An artificial prairie remnant made from an assortment of fibers (including Owens’ own hair) is knotted into felted sections of army blankets. This lies on the floor covering a clear, shallow acrylic box that exposes a layer of dark brown, rich earth. It is placed in a room beneath walls painted with the image of a pristinely blue, cloud-filled sky.

Cerebral: One wall bears the text of a poem superimposed on the sky, a reference to the ecstatic Sufi experience of nature.

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase ‘each other’ doesn’t make any sense.

Rumi Aural: The sound of Native-American flute music fuses these elements within an atmosphere of sadness, loss and nostalgia.

Sensual: Owens simulates the sensation of a prairie breeze by mounting fans in the ceiling.

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Every Breath You Take (Fig. 5, page 6) also a floor piece, is comprised of short, upended sections of crepe myrtle. Like something seen from a low-flying aircraft, the viewer gets a miniaturized aerial view of the stumps and erosion that accompany deforestation.

Trees store CO2 and release oxygen in a cycle threatened by extensive clear cutting. This threatens “every breath.” Like many of Owens’ environmental pieces, these are poetic equivalences, metaphors of action and reaction. Their impact is a consequence of the slow, contemplative and patient viewing demanded by her work. It’s this kind of observation that converts the details of her structures into meaning and response.

Owens’ work is concerned with the ecology of human relationships.

She reconfigures bodies, emotions and dramatic scenarios by abstracting them, translating them into landscapes. Her work is an updated 3D version of the ancient Greek myth of Daphne. Ovid told Daphne’s story in Metamorphoses describing it in detail: “thin bark closed over her breast, her hair turned into leaves, her arms into branches, her feet so swift a moment ago stuck fast in slow-growing roots.” This is an area where Owens’ sense of humor and play with words and materials comes to the fore, lightening up the situation with puns and double entendres.

She Left Home and Took the Fence with Her (Fig. 6), combines drama with Owens’ dry humor and love of the ridiculous. Object and title are based on a 30-year-old memory of a car trip through east Texas. While driving on a country back road she accelerated to pass a slow-moving, red truck; as she passed, she got a glimpse of the driver and the truck’s contents. She remembers the driver as a “determinedlooking young woman” and that the bed of the truck was heaped with belongings topped by a section of fence. It’s an ambiguous scene: young driver hauling a jumble of items, maybe the fall-out of some domestic event involving a break-up, moving in, over or out.

Figure 6

She Left Home and Took the Fence with Her, 2008 (detail)

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Figure 7

The Marriage of the Sun and the Moon, 1997

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The piece hangs vertically off the wall and is “pick-up truck” red. The truck wheels are present in the form of three small antique wheels rolling down the wall. The lowest part, the cab of the truck, resembles a roughly spherical red nest. This is connected to a vertical backbone of finely carved, slim, waxed pieces delicately pegged together. The spine (truck bed), is strapped and wired to its payload: lengths of weathered sticks that Owens has burned, drilled through and tied together with old fencing wire. Originally 13-feet long, its been balled up, crushed and compressed into a pile so chaotic it looks like its arching out of the wall, deflecting everything underneath it. The whole assembly hangs from a loop of baling wire.

The Marriage of the Sun and the Moon (Fig. 7), represents an allegorical relationship. In it, she’s opposed two interwoven root-like segments. One black, the other white: a dark sun and a light moon. Both elements are equal in complexity. They resemble diagrams of neural pathways or thin, elegant coral fans.

The brilliantly white moon illuminates the mystery of the feminine; the black sun symbolizes the dark heat and power of the masculine essence. Their differences create a powerful attraction: their marriage is alchemical. It’s a mystical union that creates a third element: gold, the offspring of elemental desires. This is one of Owens’ most lyrical and romantic objects. It’s enigmatic and subtle; its looping, intertwined branches radiate a repressed energy.

Much of Owens’ work is constructed at large scale.

Its fabrication demands careful balancing and intuitive engineering; it demonstrates her innate ability to pitch scale and weight against gravity. She’s able to stitch together multiple sizes, sections and intricate detail into forms that appear to deny their own mass. Her work invades the areas where it’s displayed and turns it into theatrical space, one that’s fully engaged with the work and also defined by it. The architecture of enclosure: wall, floor and ceiling, defines the work but is bitten into and fractured by it. The space and object within it is not in balance but held in a tense

dynamic. It’s this precise relationship of location to object that prevents the sensual beauty and elegant assembly of the work from becoming decorative.

No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings.

Wm Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell At a time when many artists who work at a large scale employ studio assistants to fabricate much of their art, it is noteworthy that Owens does everything herself. Many of her sculptures can take nearly a year or more to complete: she makes them alone. Her solitude, another invisible element, is a strong presence in the work. No detail, no part of its surface speaks of machine process. The sense of the handmade, of patient labor expended slowly over time and at large scale, is nearly overwhelming. These elements establish a territory that defines the work itself as well as the way it is to be perceived. This labor (drying and freezing the branches, whittling bark, cutting the sections, making the small pegs, sitting down with these materials daily, making one small, crucial decision after another...) disappears entirely within the finished work, felt but not perceived. In many ways the strength and beauty of Owens’ work resides in this disappearing act. The point is that the nature of the labor is in itself amazing, the fact that she somehow makes it invisible is nothing short of astonishing.

It’s more than detail that makes her work compelling; the process of fabrication is sensed by the viewer and responded to with close and careful attention. The viewer is totally focused on the finished objects; to be in a room with them is to be consumed by them. Each sculpture fully occupies its space, transforms, breathes into and energizes it.

Kathleen Whitney has written extensively about sculpture. She has had profiles and essays published in numerous national and international publications and has also authored many museum catalogues. Her work has appeared in several anthologies. She currently lives in Albuquerque.

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Figure 8

The Wind in Swirl, 1997 (with detail)

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Figure 9

amour, 2001 (four views)

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Figure 10

Navigating the Waters, 1996

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Figure 11

Navigating the Waters, 2001

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Figure 12

We Dream of Intimacy, 1993

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Figure 13

ab ovo, 2001

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Figure 14

Man Brain/Woman Brain, 2001 Figure 15 ON RIGHT

Moon Cloud, 2001

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Figure 16

An Ocean Between Us, 2008 (installation with detail)

Figure 17

First Embrace, 2002 Figure 18 ON RIGHT

Blessings, 1999

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Figure 19

Figure 20

Hover, 1996

Grass Roots, 1997

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Figure 21

Figure 22

Field, 2001

A Dream Whirring IV, 1997

27

Figure 23

Fresh Cut, 1993 Figure 24 ON RIGHT

Apparition, 2010

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29

Figure 25

Sudden Insight, 1997 (with detail)

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31

Figure 26

Police Zone: No Occupancy, 1990 Figure 27 ON RIGHT

House at the Edge of the Forest, 1991

32

Figure 28 ON LEFT

Drakainas’ Folly, 1999 Figure 29

Autumn, 1999 35

Figure 30

Storm Rising, 1996

Figure 32

Fall, 2007

Figure 31

Night Birds Soaring, 2009

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Figure 33 ON RIGHT

Song of Summer, 2009

B I O G R A P H Y, S E L E C T E D E X H I B I T I O N H I STO RY A N D B I B L I O G R A P H Y

Sherry Owens was born on October 8, 1950 in Mt. Vernon, Texas. She received a BFA from Southern Methodist University in 1972; was a 1984 participant in the United States Textile Arts and Culture of China Delegation in the People’s Republic of China; and was awarded the Moss/Chumley North Texas Artist Award in 1999. Having taught art for the Dallas Independent School District and various art programs within the community and state, she is also a former president of the Texas Sculpture Association.

She has served on numerous art boards and was a co-founder of the Emergency Artists’ Support League. She currently lives and works in Dallas.

SELECTED SOLO AND COLLABORATIVE EXHIBITIONS 2003

2002

2001

2000

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Sherry Owens: Second Glance, Studio Gallery, Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, TX cloudsandislands, Collaboration with Art Shirer, Redbud Gallery, Houston, TX Sherry Owens: New Work in Bronze, Fine Arts Division, J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, Dallas, TX Bearing Witness: An Installation in Response to September 11, 2001, Four Walls, Displays Unlimited, Inc., Fort Worth, TX Sculpture by Sherry Owens, Neiman Marcus Downtown, First Floor and Windows on Main, Ervay and Commerce, Dallas, TX Earthly Delights, Parchman Stremmel Galleries, San Antonio, TX outside in, Collaboration with Art Shirer, Ida Green Gallery, Austin College, Sherman, TX unearthed, Haggar Gallery, University of Dallas, Irving, TX (brochure)

1998

1997

1996

1995

1993

In Harmony, Parchman Stremmel Galleries, San Antonio, TX This Seed of Space, Women & Their Work, Austin, TX (brochure) beginnings, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX On Earth & Sky, Parchman Stremmel Galleries, San Antonio, TX Patience Towards Obsession, Main Gallery, Fox Fine Arts Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX Sherry Owens: Sculpture, Martin Museum, Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center, Baylor University, Waco, TX Persistence of Memory, Collaboration with Art Shirer, University Gallery, Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, TX Sherry Owens: AboveBelowAnd Between, Studio Gallery and Sculpture Garden, Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, TX SHIRER + OWENS A Transformation of Space, Main Gallery, Irving Arts Center, Irving, TX Sherry Owens & Tom Sale, Gray Matters, Dallas, TX

1990

1989

In Collaboration: Sherry Owens and Art Shirer, D-Art Visual Art Center, Dallas, TX Collected Thoughts, University Gallery, Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, TX

SELECTED PUBLIC COMMISSIONS 2009

Night Birds Soaring, JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio, TX 2008 An Ocean Between Us, Coast Global Seafood Restaurant, Plano, TX 2005 Flowering Cloud in the Night Sky, Stephan Pyles Restaurant, Dallas, TX 2003 When There Is Joy in the Heart, The Narthex Alcove, First United Methodist Church, Dallas, TX 2000 Receiving Gifts, Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 1996 Storm Rising, Marquis on Gaston, Dallas, TX Orbit, Collaboration with Art Shirer, Marquis on Gaston, Dallas, TX 1995-96 Cascade, Collaboration with Art Shirer, Hall Financial Group, Frisco, TX 1995 On Thin Ice, Collaboration with Art Shirer, Hall Financial Group, Frisco, TX

1992-93 Abilene 12th Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Nelson Park, Abilene, TX (catalogue) 1991 Sculpture in the Parks 1991, Mackenzie Park, Lubbock, TX (catalogue) 1990 Connemara Conservancy Foundation, Allen, TX (brochure) Sculpture at the Fair, Texas Sculpture Association, State Fair of Texas, Dallas, TX 1989 Sculpture By the Lake, Texas Sculpture Association and the City of Dallas, Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas, TX (catalogue) 1988 1st Biennial Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, The Sculpture Farm, Wolfe City, TX (catalogue) 1987 St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX – First Prize 1986 2nd Annual Kinetic Sculpture Parade, West End Marketplace, Dallas, TX – $3000 First Prize SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2010

SELECTED OUTDOOR INSTALLATIONS AND EXHIBITIONS 2010-12 30th Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Abilene, TX 2008-10 Sculpture for New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 2006-07 Waco National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Waco Cultural Arts Fest, Waco, TX 2005-06 Art on the Green, Kemp Center for the Arts, Wichita Falls, TX (catalogue) 2004-06 Sculpture Fort Smith, Fort Smith, AR (brochure) 2004-06 Insight at Sloss, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Birmingham, AL 2001 Texas Sculpture Garden, Permanent Collection, Hall Office Park, Frisco, TX 2000-01 Art in the Park, Windlands Park, Midland, TX (brochure) 2000 Connemara Collaboration: Art/Nature/ Man, Connemara Conservancy Foundation, Allen, TX (brochure) Journey: Sculpture 2000, Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive, Houston, TX (brochure) 1999-00 Breaking New Ground, Irving Arts Center Sculpture Garden, Irving, TX (brochure) 1999 XXL: Large-Scale Outdoor Sculpture, Richland College, Dallas, TX Artworks 99 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Aquarena Center, San Marcos, TX 1995-96 Sculpture on Campus Exhibit, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX

2009

2008

2007

2006

30th Annual Sculpture Exhibition, Center for Contemporary Arts, Abilene, TX Earthbound: The State of Sculpture, Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, TX (catalogue) Oso Bay Biennial XVI Invitational, Weil Gallery, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX Amistad 2, Instituto Cultural Peruano Aleman, Arequipa, Peru (catalogue) The Great Texas Sculpture Roundup, Beeville Art Museum, Beeville, TX (catalogue); traveled to Art Car Museum, Houston, TX Art of the Everyday, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX and Bathhouse Cultural Center, Dallas, TX (brochure) The 10th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition, University of Hawaii Art Gallery, Honolulu, HI (catalogue) – a three year traveling exhibition through 2012 The Texas Chair Project, Austin Museum of Art, Austin, TX (catalogue) Texas Tour 100 Years of Texas Landscape Painting & Works by Texas Sculptors, Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Dallas, TX Small Works, McClain Gallery, Houston, TX Ulterior Motifs a.k.a. Camp Marfa, The Crazywood Gallery, Huntsville, TX Amistad, Texas Art in Peru, National Museum, Lima, Peru (catalogue) – traveled to Museum of Modern Art, Trujillo, Peru (catalogue) Camp Marfa, Old Fort Russell Building 98, Marfa, TX (catalogue) Islander Sculpture Invitational, Oso Bay Biennial XIV, Islander Art Gallery, Corpus Christi, TX

2004

2003

2002

2002

2001

2000

1999

Naturalis, Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas, TX X 10 Years, Parchman Stremmel Galleries, San Antonio, TX Celebracion, Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX North American Sculpture Exhibition 2004, Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO (catalogue) One Hundred Drawings, Haggerty Gallery, University of Dallas, Irving, TX Mark Making: A Drawing Show, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, TX Working with Wood, Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Dallas, TX A Sense of Place, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, TX Known and New, Parchman Stremmel Galleries, San Antonio, TX I-45 Combined, Lowell Collins Gallery, Houston, TX Shifting Ground, ArtScan Gallery and Rudolph Projects, Houston, TX TEXAS NATIONAL 2002, The Art Center, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX (catalogue) Modalities of the Visible: A Survey of Contemporary Art in North Texas, New Forum Gallery, Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, TX Celebracion, Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX Steel Grrrls, Jonson Gallery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM Inside/Outside, Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Dallas, TX Steel Grrrls, Art League Houston, Houston, TX (catalogue) Gallery in the Garden, Governor’s Mansion, Austin, TX The 7th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition, University of Hawaii Art Gallery, Honolulu, HI (catalogue) – a three year traveling exhibition through 2003 34th Annual National Drawing & Small Sculpture Show, Joseph A. Cain Memorial Art Gallery, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX (catalogue) – Honorable Mention Departure/Return, Meadows Museum, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX Living and Working in Texas, Park Central VII, VIII and IX, Dallas, TX (catalogue) PLUNGE, Beatrice M. Haggerty Gallery, University of Dallas, Irving, TX (catalogue) Prints & Sculptures, Redbud Gallery, Houston, TX Goliad: A Cultural Convergence, Presidio La Bahia, Goliad, TX (catalogue)

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1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

40

Retrospection 15, Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX (catalogue) Six Ways of Seeing, University Art Gallery, Fain Fine Arts Center, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX The Last Sculpture Show, Redbud Gallery, Houston, TX Works by Contemporary American Artists, Embassy of the United States of America, Vienna, Austria (catalogue) Mark and Repetition: Drawings 1998, Haggerty Gallery, University of Dallas, Irving, TX Day of the Dead Shrine Show, OwingsDewey Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM Babalu-A Night in Havana, William Campbell Contemporary Art, Fort Worth, TX Art in the Metroplex, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX – $1000 The Fifth Avenue Foundation Award Act Natural: Artists’ Responses to Environment, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, TX Inside Out, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX earth-air-fire-water, University Art Gallery, Fain Fine Arts Center, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX the THING itself, The 1995-1996 Vistas Series, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX (brochure) El Duende, Wichita Falls Museum and Art Center, Wichita Falls, TX The Book Re-configured, Women & Their Work, Austin, TX – a traveling exhibition through 1996 Basket/Case, Edith Baker Gallery, Dallas, TX Art in the Metroplex, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX Made in Texas, Parchman Stremmel Galleries, San Antonio, TX Fourth Annual Celebration of the Day of the Dead: A BOOK, A BOX, OR A SHRINE, Owings-Dewey Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM Cross, University of Dallas, Irving, TX Bucking the Texan Myth: A Contemporary Redefinition of Who We Are, Moody Hall Atrium Gallery, St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX (catalogue) A Show of Hands, Edith Baker Gallery, Dallas, TX 1994 New Orleans National, Still-Zinsel Contemporary Fine Art, New Orleans, LA 28th Annual National Drawing and Small Sculpture Show, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX (catalogue) Senses Beyond Sight, in conjunction with Art of the Eye, Gateway Gallery, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX 1994 Critic’s Choice, D-Art Visual Art Center, Dallas, TX (catalogue)

1993

1992

1991

1990

Fused Metal, D-Art Visual Art Center, Dallas, TX Sculpture at the Plaza, Texas Sculpture Association, Plaza of the Americas, Dallas, TX Art in the Metroplex, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX – $1000 The Fifth Avenue Foundation Award 1993 Critic’s Choice, D-Art Visual Art Center, Dallas, TX (catalogue) Senses Beyond Sight, D-Art Visual Art Center, Dallas, TX (catalogue); traveled to Grace Cultural Center, Museums of Abilene, Abilene, TX Small Treasures, Edith Baker Gallery, Dallas, TX The Great Big Little Show, Lubbock Fine Arts Center, Lubbock, TX Art in the Metroplex, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX Thirty-Fifth Annual Delta Art Exhibition, The Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR (catalogue) Three Year Review, D-Art Visual Art Center, Dallas, TX The Next Best Show, Gray Matters, Dallas, TX Trail of Tears, Firehouse Gallery, Houston, TX Tempus Fugit, Edith Baker Gallery, Dallas, TX The Throne Show, Artisana Gallery 2526, Dallas, TX Six Sculptors, Collin County Community College, Plano, TX Profiles I: The Land, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, TX Fifth Annual Materials: Hard & Soft, Meadows Gallery, Greater Denton Arts Council Center for the Visual Arts, Denton, TX (catalogue) Healing Hands, Lubbock Fine Arts Center, Lubbock, TX and D-Art Visual Art Center, Dallas, TX (catalogue) 1991 Critic’s Choice, D-Art Visual Art Center, Dallas, TX (catalogue) National Juried Art Exhibition, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, TX The Image of the Cross, Putti Gallery, Dallas, TX Texas Toys, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX (catalogue) Die Berliner Mauer: From Repression to Expression, Trammell Crow Center, Dallas, TX 33rd Annual Delta Art Exhibition, The Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR (catalogue) EXCELLENCE 90, Texas Sculpture Association National Exhibition, Plaza of the Americas, Dallas, TX (catalogue) Perspectives, The Gallery, HughesTrigg Student Center, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX Tom Peyton Memorial Arts Festival, First United Methodist Church, Alexandria, LA

1989

1988

1987

1986

Artful Objects, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX (catalogue) Constructed Image-Constructed Form, The Gallery, Hughes-Trigg Student Center, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX Sightings: Future Akins, Sherry Owens and Chase Yarbrough, Louisiana Tech University Art Gallery, Ruston, LA Critic’s Choice 1988, D-Art Visual Art Center, Dallas, TX (catalogue) EXCELLENCE 88, Texas Sculpture Association National Exhibition, Plaza of the Americas, Dallas, TX (catalogue) AFAM 44th Annual Competition, Abilene Fine Arts Museum, Abilene, TX Images of a Summer Vacation, AION Fine Art at the Crescent Gallery, Dallas, TX Autorama, Forum Gallery, Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, TX Toys By Artists, William Campbell Contemporary Art, Fort Worth, TX Sculpture at the Bar, Texas Sculpture Association and Dallas Bar Association, Dallas Legal Education Center, Dallas, TX Art in the Metroplex, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX – Honorable Mention – Bob Fiesler Award (painting) Critic’s Choice 1986, D-Art Visual Art Center, Dallas, TX (catalogue)

SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS American Airlines, Admirals Club, Austin, TX Coast Global Seafood Restaurant, Plano, TX First United Methodist Church, Dallas, TX Hall Financial Group, Inc., Frisco, TX Harbourton Enterprises, New York, NY Marquis on Gaston, Dallas, TX JW Marriott San Antonio Resort & Spa, San Antonio, TX Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX Neiman Marcus, Dallas, TX and Honolulu, HI State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Honolulu, HI Stephan Pyles Restaurant, Dallas, TX Texas Sculpture Garden, Hall Office Park, Frisco, TX

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Baca, Ricardo; “Eye-Popping Art Finds a Home with Linear Work,” Corpus Christi Caller-Times, April 14, 2000 Bartosek, Nancy; “Crape Myrtle Branches Set Scene for 9-11 Tribute,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Gallery Watch, September 28, 2002 Bass, Shermakaye; “Artists Put Together a Touching Exhibit,” The Dallas Morning News, March 28,1993 Cuellar, Catherine; “Deep Ellum’s Continental Gin Building,” The Dallas Morning News, November 2, 1997 Daniel, Mike; “Art – Sherry Owens,” The Dallas Morning News, Guide, June 23, 2000 Daniel, Mike; “Connemara Collaboration: Art/Nature/Man The 2000 Connemara Spring Sculpture Show, Connemara Nature Conservancy,” Artlies, #27 Summer 2000 Doren, Megan; “Life Inundates Art,” The Dallas Morning News, March 16, 1990 Fearing, Kelly, Emma Lea Mayton, Bill D. Francis and Evelyn Beard; Helping Children See Art and Make Art – Primary, copyright 1982, published by W.S. Benson & Co., Inc., Austin, TX. Fearing, Kelly, Emma Lea Mayton, Bill D. Francis and Evelyn Beard; Helping Children See Art and Make Art – Intermediate, copyright 1982, published

by W.S. Benson & Co., Inc., Austin, TX Editors: FIBERARTS; The FIBERARTS Design Book, copyright 1980, Hastings House Publishers, NY Editors: FIBERARTS; The FIBERARTS Design Book Three, copyright 1987, published by Lark Books, Asheville, NC Goddard, Dan; “The Luminous and Rough Nature of Earth and Sky,” San Antonio Express-News, S.A. Life, March 27, 1997 Goertz, Lea Ann; “Collaborative Exhibit is Spiritual Sculpture,” The Daily University Star, Southwest Texas State University, October 3, 1996 Goldman, Saundra; “Making a Buck,” Austin American-Statesman, November 17, 1994 Greenberg, Mike; “What’s Different Now,” San Antonio Express-News, Culturas, September 8, 2002 Editor: Greenville Herald Banner, “‘Celebration of the Arts‘ Hosts Sculptors,” Greenville Herald Banner, April 17, 1994 Griffith, Diana; “OPEN-AIR ART: Mother Nature Silent Partner at Connemara,” Plano Morning News, March 11, 2000 Griffith, Dotty; “Catch the Wave!” Dallas Modern Luxury, March 2009 Hazal, Mary Lou; “A Celebration of the Arts,” Commerce Journal, April 17, 1994 Hosek, Karah; “Pedestrian Materials Find New Life in Exhibition,” UT Dallas News, April 17, 2009 Editor: Hutchins, Jeane; The FIBERARTS Design Book II, copyright 1983, published by Lark Books, Asheville, NC Jelson, Christine; “Sherry Owens ‘Unearthed’ Haggar Gallery, University of Dallas,” Artlies, #28 Fall 2000 Southwest Editor: Julian, Debbie; “On the Cover and In Harmony at Parchman Stremmel Galleries,” Art Now Gallery Guide, December 1998 Koller, Dan; “New Show Takes Root in Sculpture Garden,” The Irving News, February 20, 2000 Koller, Dan; “Dirty Work – Artist’s Show Explores Prairies, Soil,” The Irving News, May 18, 2000 Kutner, Janet; “The Connemara Art Form,” The Dallas Morning News, March 21, 1990 Kutner, Janet; “Excellence 90,” The Dallas Morning News, August 2, 1990 Kutner, Janet; “Visual Relief,” The Dallas Morning News, September 22, 1991 Kutner, Janet; “Preview – Profiles I: The Land,” The Dallas Morning News, November 29, 1991 Kutner, Janet; “Nature Not Nutured,” The Dallas Morning News, December 12, 1991 Kutner, Janet; “Preview – Sherry Owens and Tom Sale: Recent Works,” The Dallas Morning News, January 22, 1993 Kutner, Janet; “Overnight – Dallas Artists Win Prize for Sculpture,” The Dallas Morning News, September 22, 1997

Kutner, Janet; “Gallery Gourmet – Sherry Owens at Conduit,” The Dallas Morning News, August 28, 1998 Lapham, Bob; “All Hands on Deck,” Abilene Reporter-News Weekend, November 5-6, 1993 McMullen, Dawn; “Branching Out,” theMet, November 20, 1996 Mitchell, Charles Dee; “Risky Business,” Dallas Observer, September 5, 1991 Savage, Diana and Tim O’Reilly; “Discover,” The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Life Magazine, September 6, 1992 Sharpe, Patricia; “Where to Eat Now 2007,” Texas Monthly, February 2007 Sime, Tom; “Modern Medicis,” Dallas Observer, June 27, 1991 Sime, Tom; “Land Futures,” Dallas Observer, October 3, 1991 Sime, Tom; “Art-Naturals: Sculpture Show Makes the Most of Outdoor Setting,” The Dallas Morning News, Guide, March 10, 2000 Sime, Tom; “A Space for Art: Connemara at 20,” The Dallas Morning News, March 12, 2000 Sime, Tom; “Creating a Space for Hope After 9-11,” The Dallas Morning News, Arts Out There, September 4, 2002 Sime, Tom; “Sticks and Bronze,” The Dallas Morning News, Arts Out There, November 5, 2003 Smith, Lewis: “The Cumulative Aesthetic of Parchman Stremmel,” Voices of Art Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 2, April/May 1999 Stone, Lee; “Inspiration from the Prairies,” The Prairie Dog, Native Prairies Association of Texas Newsletter, Vol. 13, No. 2, Spring 2000 Tyson, Janet; “Seeing Landscapes in a Different Light,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, November 21, 1991 Tyson, Janet; “Twigs and Taxidermy Make Companion Pieces,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, January 21, 1993 Van Ryzin, Jeanne; “Safe Passage – Sherry Owens’ Work with Branches and Linen Evoke Repose,” Austin American-Statesman, February 2, 1998 Whitney, Kathleen; “Going Natural,” World Sculpture News, Volume 7, Number 3, Summer 2001 Whitney, Kathleen; “Sherry Owens at Parchman Stremmel Galleries, San Antonio, Texas,” World Sculpture News, Volume 8, Number 1, Winter 2002 Yannotta, Patricia; “Sherry Owens,” Art Now Gallery Guide, January and February 1997 SELECTED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND AFFILIATIONS African American Museum, Dallas, TX, Young American Talent High School Art Competition, Juror 2001 City of Dallas Public Art Project, Dallas, TX, Artist Selection Panel 1998 Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX, 1995-99 Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX, Texas Toys, Beaux Arts Ball, Chairman 1991 Dallas Visual Art Center, Dallas, TX, Board of Directors 1992-94; Sense Beyond Sight, a traveling exhibition for the visually impaired, with accompanying invitation, catalogue and docent script production, Co-Curator 1993 DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit), Dallas, TX, Cedars Light Rail Station Art Project, Collaboration with Art Shirer, Finalist 1994 EASL (Emergency Artists’ Support League), Dallas, TX, Co-Founder and Steering Committee 1992-99; Advisory Board 2009-present Ellen Noël Art Museum, Odessa, TX, Metal Arts 2004, Juror 2004 Gray Matters, Dallas, TX, 1991-94 Joel Cooner Gallery, Dallas, TX, Assistant 1999-2001 Kemp Center for the Arts, Wichita Falls, TX, Art on the Green Outdoor Sculpture Invitational, Curator 2010 Parchman Stremmel Galleries, San Antonio, TX, 1995-present Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, TX, Student Awards Exhibition, Juror 2000 Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, Oso Bay Biennial XVI, Panel Discussion and Workshop 2010 Texas Sculpture Association, Dallas, TX, Sponsor 1991-92; Board of Directors 1987-90; Ex-Officio 1990; President 1988-89; Vice-President 1987 The Hockaday School, Dallas, TX, ISAS Fine Arts Festival, Workshop 2004 41

EXHIBITION CHECKLIST – WEST TEX AS TRIANGLE San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts SAN ANGELO, TEXAS A Resting Place for the Spirit, 1989 crepe myrtle, purpleheart, brass, roses, hydrocal, steel, paint, 88½ x 12 x 12 inches Collection of Lennie Bailey Figure 13, page 19

ab ovo, 2001, crepe myrtle, dye, wax, steel, paint, 53 x 24 x 20 inches Collection of Sarah and Jeff Harkinson Figure 4, page 5

alameda, 2001, crepe myrtle 20½ x 18 x 29 inches steel pedestal, 36 x 22¼ x 9½ inches Collection of Guillermo Nicolas Figure 9, page 14-15

amour, 2001, steel, patina, wax 14 x 18 x 8 inches Collection of Carol and Ken Bentley Figure 24, page 29

Apparition, 2010, crepe myrtle 83½ x 28 x 11½ inches Courtesy of the artist Big Fear, 1994, crepe myrtle, paint, wax 124 x 60 x 36 inches Collection of Laura and Walter Elcock Figure 18, page 25

Blessings, 1999, crepe myrtle, dye, wax 83¾ x 26 x 28 inches Collection of Jane and Allen Smith

Everything In Its Place: Do-Waa-DiddyDo, 1986, handmade paper, paint, rocks, wire, found objects on steel frame 27¼ x 9½ x 8 inches Collection of the artist Field, 2001, graphite, pencil, watercolor, gouache on paper, 20 x 16 inches Collection of the artist Figure 17, page 24

First Embrace, 2002, bronze (unique), patina, 26½ x 26 x 21¼ inches Collection of Nancy and Tim Hanley Figure 23, page 28

Fresh Cut, 1993, crepe myrtle, paint, wax 56 x 45 x 38 inches (corner installation) Collection of Rocky Owens Figure 20, page 26

Grass Roots, 1997, edition 1/7 intaglio, softground, 10 x 8 inches Collection of Sharon and Gus Kopriva Heart of the Prairie, 2007, crepe myrtle, dye, wax, 51 x 38 x 30 inches Courtesy of the artist Holding Up the Sky I-V, 2003 bronze, patina, crepe myrtle, dye, wax variable dimensions, Collections of Sharon and Gus Kopriva (I), Kathy and Chet Boortz (II), Courtesy of the artist (III), Roger Carroll (IV), Karen and Cameron Rezai (V) Figure 27, page 33

House at the Edge of the Forest, 1991 crepe myrtle, zinc, brass, nails, paint, metallic wax, 65 x 20⅛ x 20⅛ inches Collection of Patricia B. Meadows

Diary, 1995, bronze (unique), patina, crepe myrtle, 6 x 7¼ x 3 inches Collection of Carolyn and Otis Parchman

Figure 19, page 26

Drought, 2010, bronze (unique), patina 52 x 84½ x 45 inches Courtesy of the artist Figure 34, inside back cover (detail)

Dust Devil, 2002 crepe myrtle, wax, steel, paint 22¾ x 13 x 12 inches Collection of Bala Shagrithaya Figure 5, page 6

Every Breath You Take, 2009 crepe myrtle, steel, mixed fibers, paint 14½ x 93 x 104 inches Courtesy of the artist

42

Mantle, 2000, soil, wood, acrylic, felted, army blankets, hair, mixed fibers, paint, fans, text 5 x 72 x 84 inches, Courtesy of the artist Figure 15, page 21

Figure 21, page 27

Cavolo-Fiori, 1993, crepe myrtle, dye, metallic wax, 73 x 29 x 27 inches Collection of Guillermo Nicolas

Figure 1, cover

Figure 2, inside front cover & frontispiece

Hover, 1996, graphite, charcoal, conte, gouache on paper, 26 x 19¾ inches Collection of the artist I Thought I Saw My Head on Fire, 1992 crepe myrtle, tin, nails, paint, wax 12½ x 8½ x 8½ inches Collection of the artist Length of Life, 2009, graphite on paper 30 x 22 inches, Courtesy of the artist Figure 14, page 20

Man Brain/Woman Brain, 2001 crepe myrtle, dye, wax 32¼ x 36 x 26 inches Courtesy of Joel Cooner Gallery

Moon Cloud, 2001, crepe myrtle, dye, wax 17½ x 18 x 9½ inches Collection of Becky and Ken Phillips Mourning at the Pier, 1998, bronze (unique), patina, 18 x 28½ x 21 inches Collection of Joel Cooner Figure 6, page 9 (detail)

She Left Home and Took the Fence with Her, 2008, crepe myrtle, dye, wax, steel wire, steel wheels, 55½ x 15 x 22 inches Collection of Barbara and Tom Chandler Song of Summer, 2009, crepe myrtle, dye, wax, 62½ x 94½ x 9 inches Collection of Cindy and Bill Ward Figure 25, page 30-31

Sudden Insight, 1997, crepe myrtle, steel, paint, wax, 105 x 30 x 27 inches Courtesy of the artist Sweet Beet, 2001, crepe myrtle, dye, wax, steel, paint, 12¾ x 4¾ x 4¾ inches Collection of C. Thomas Wright Taproot, 1998, crepe myrtle, dye, wax 108 x 20½ x 11½ inches, Courtesy of the artist The Big Four + One, 2000, found shovels, grass seed, steel, paint, 35 x 57¾ x 19 inches Collection of the artist Figure 7, page 10

The Marriage of the Sun and the Moon, 1997, crepe myrtle, dye, wax, steel, paint, 32 x 32½ x 19 inches Collection of David Gibson The Slow Growth of Sameness, 1995 crepe myrtle, steel, hair, lead, linen 51 x 32 x 4¾ inches, Collection of Art Shirer Figure 8, page 12-13

The Wind in Swirl, 1997, crepe myrtle, dye, wax, 76 x 37 x 47½ inches Collection of Laura and Walter Elcock Two Sighs, 1997, graphite, charcoal, conte, gouache on paper, 19¾ x 26 inches Collection of Liz Kerrigan Figure 12, page 18

We Dream of Intimacy, 1993 crepe myrtle, linen, 18 x 24 x 24 inches Collection of the artist

The Grace Museum ABILENE, TEXAS

The Old Jail Art Center ALBANY, TEXAS

Ellen Noël Art Museum ODESSA, TEXAS

Cutting Back, 1996 graphite, charcoal, conte, gouache on paper, 30 x 22 inches Courtesy of the artist

Figure 22, page 27

Colony, 1995, salt ceramic, dye, wire, nails, oil on paper, variable dimensions (21 sections), Courtesy of the artist

Dusk, 1997 monotype, 10¾ x 9 inches Courtesy of the artist Figure 26, page 32

Police Zone: No Occupancy, 1990 Berlin wall fragment, crepe myrtle, lead, steel, copper, nails, 90 x 42 x 30 inches Courtesy of the artist Twilight, 1997 monotype, 10¾ x 9 inches Courtesy of the artist

A Dream Whirring I-V, 1997, graphite, charcoal, conte, gouache on paper each 26 x 19¾ inches Courtesy of the artist Between Heaven and Earth, 1995 crepe myrtle, steel, aluminum, paint 172 x 60 x 52 inches Courtesy of the artist

Figure 28, page 34

Drakainas’ Folly, 1999, steel 134 x 55 x 28 inches (kinetic) Courtesy of the artist

Fence and Farm, 1995, crepe myrtle, aluminum, steel wire, found shovel, paint 76 x 14 x 14 inches Collection of Amy and Jules Monier

In All Houses, 1992 crepe myrtle, steel, lead, brass, copper, clay, glass, stone, plaster, found objects, wire, paint, wax 80 x 108 x 27 inches Courtesy of the artist

Little White Cloud, 2003, crepe myrtle, dye, wax, 11½ x 16½ x 5½ inches Collection of David Gibson

No. 1 Side Entrance, 1988 oil on canvas, 35 x 55 inches Collection of the artist

Museum of the Southwest MIDLAND, TEXAS Figure 29, page 35

Autumn, 1999, steel 122½ x 54 x 42 inches Courtesy of the artist

Writing on the Wall, 1992 crepe myrtle, 29 x 28½ x 4½ inches Collection of Margo and Norman Kary You Don’t Know What’s Out There, 1994 steel, patina, wax, 108 x 41 x 60 inches Courtesy of the artist

I N S TA L L AT I O N S Figure 16, page 22-23

Figure 10, page 16

An Ocean Between Us, 2008 crepe myrtle, dye, wax, steel, paint 113½ x 129 x 27 inches Permanent Installation: Coast Global Seafood Restaurant, Plano

Navigating the Waters, 1996 crepe myrtle, 90 x 50 x 36 inches (burned out for cast bronze)

Figure 32, page 36

Fall, 2007, steel wire, gravity 205 x 38 x 2 inches, Permanent Installation: Collection of Cindy and Bill Ward Figure 3, page 3

Flowering Cloud in the Night Sky, 2005 crepe myrtle, 40½ x 72¾ x 44 inches Permanent Installation: Stephan Pyles Restaurant, Dallas

Figure 11, page 17

Navigating the Waters, 2001, bronze (unique), patina, 90 x 50 x 36 inches Collection of Nancy and Tim Hanley Figure 31, page 36

Night Birds Soaring, 2009 crepe myrtle, dye, wax, 193 x 117 x 15 inches Permanent Installation: JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio Figure 30, page 37

Storm Rising, 1996, crepe myrtle 55 x 113 x 69 inches, Permanent Installation: Marquis on Gaston, Dallas

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of the following individuals without whose assistance these five exhibitions and this catalogue would not have been realized. A large debt of gratitude is owed to Howard Taylor, Director at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, for inviting me to participate in the West Texas Triangle. Heartfelt thanks go to Becky and Ken Phillips of WinshipPhillips for their talent and countless hours in bringing this catalogue to life; and to my long time friend Kay Whitney who provided an insightful and thoughtful essay. I am also very grateful to the lenders of this exhibition and the four other exhibitions in the West Texas Triangle. Special thanks to Art Shirer for his expertise and assistance in the studio and to Patricia Meadows who has championed my work from the beginning – both are dear friends.

I express my appreciation to David and Martin Iles of Bolivar Bronze who can meet any challenge I bring to the foundry; to Margaret and David Hendrix who arrived at my studio with all kinds of art moving equipment and big smiles;

and to Monte Martin of Martin & Martin Design who provided additional transporting services.

I would especially like to thank these photographers: John Ater, Harrison Evans, Tom Jenkins and Pete Lacker, whose photos make the work sing. Many thanks also go to Cheryl and Kevin Vogel of Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Dallas and to Carolyn and Otis Parchman of Parchman Stremmel Galleries, San Antonio for their valuable assistance and guidance.

It took numerous staff members from each venue to help facilitate the installation of these exhibitions and to make this publication possible. I extend my gratitude to the staffs of the various departments at all five museums. In particular, I would like to thank Gracie Fernandez, Karen Zimmerly, John Mattson and Joel Quintella at the San Angleo Museum of Fine Arts; Francine Carraro and Judy Deaton at The Grace Museum in Abilene; Rebecca Bridges and Pat Kelly at The Old Jail Art Center in Albany; Jean Hoelscher and Chris Lovett at the Museum of the Southwest in Midland; and Les Reker, Doylene

Land and the fab-five crew of firemen at the Ellen Noël Art Museum in Odessa.

I sincerely thank my son Rocky for his continuous encouragement, clear vision and inspiration. And

finally, a big hug to the many friends and family who have enthusiastically supported me through the years. What an extraordinary experience it has been gathering these works and bringing them to the five West Texas museums.

I thank you all.

Sherry Owens

F I N A N C I A L S U P P O RT This catalogue has been made possible through the generous financial support of: Barbara and Tom Chandler, Laura and Walter Elcock, Nancy and Tim Hanley, Sharon Kopriva, Patricia B. Meadows, Becky and Ken Phillips, Redbud Gallery, Cindy and Bill Ward And the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and the San Angelo Cultural Affairs Council With additional support from: Lennie Bailey, Kathy and Chet Boortz, Amy and Jules Monier, Rocky Owens, Jane and Allen Smith, Karen and Howard Weiner Catalogue Design: WinshipPhillips, www.winshipphillips.com Photo Credits: John Ater – page 3; Harrison Evans – inside front cover & frontispiece, pages 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 24, 26, 27, 30, 31, 36 (fig. 30); Tom Jenkins – page 35; Pete Lacker – cover, pages 10, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 28, 29, 32, 33, 38, inside back cover Sherry Owens – pages 6, 9, 34, 36 (fig. 31 & 32), 37, 40, 44

44

Figure 34

Dust Devil, 2002 (detail)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of the following individuals without whose assistance these five exhibitions and this catalogue would not have been realized. A large debt of gratitude is owed to Howard Taylor, Director at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, for inviting me to participate in the West Texas Triangle. Heartfelt thanks go to Becky and Ken Phillips of WinshipPhillips for their talent and countless hours in bringing this catalogue to life; and to my long time friend Kay Whitney who provided an insightful and thoughtful essay. I am also very grateful to the lenders of this exhibition and the four other exhibitions in the West Texas Triangle. Special thanks to Art Shirer for his expertise and assistance in the studio and to Patricia Meadows who has championed my work from the beginning – both are dear friends.

I express my appreciation to David and Martin Iles of Bolivar Bronze who can meet any challenge I bring to the foundry; to Margaret and David Hendrix who arrived at my studio with all kinds of art moving equipment and big smiles;

and to Monte Martin of Martin & Martin Design who provided additional transporting services.

I would especially like to thank these photographers: John Ater, Harrison Evans, Tom Jenkins and Pete Lacker, whose photos make the work sing. Many thanks also go to Cheryl and Kevin Vogel of Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Dallas and to Carolyn and Otis Parchman of Parchman Stremmel Galleries, San Antonio for their valuable assistance and guidance.

It took numerous staff members from each venue to help facilitate the installation of these exhibitions and to make this publication possible. I extend my gratitude to the staffs of the various departments at all five museums. In particular, I would like to thank Gracie Fernandez, Karen Zimmerly, John Mattson and Joel Quintella at the San Angleo Museum of Fine Arts; Francine Carraro and Judy Deaton at The Grace Museum in Abilene; Rebecca Bridges and Pat Kelly at The Old Jail Art Center in Albany; Jean Hoelscher and Chris Lovett at the Museum of the Southwest in Midland; and Les Reker, Doylene

Land and the fab-five crew of firemen at the Ellen Noël Art Museum in Odessa.

I sincerely thank my son Rocky for his continuous encouragement, clear vision and inspiration. And

finally, a big hug to the many friends and family who have enthusiastically supported me through the years. What an extraordinary experience it has been gathering these works and bringing them to the five West Texas museums.

I thank you all.

Sherry Owens

F I N A N C I A L S U P P O RT This catalogue has been made possible through the generous financial support of: Barbara and Tom Chandler, Laura and Walter Elcock, Nancy and Tim Hanley, Sharon Kopriva, Patricia B. Meadows, Becky and Ken Phillips, Redbud Gallery, Cindy and Bill Ward And the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and the San Angelo Cultural Affairs Council With additional support from: Lennie Bailey, Kathy and Chet Boortz, Amy and Jules Monier, Rocky Owens, Jane and Allen Smith, Karen and Howard Weiner Catalogue Design: WinshipPhillips, www.winshipphillips.com Photo Credits: John Ater – page 3; Harrison Evans – inside front cover & frontispiece, pages 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 24, 26, 27, 30, 31, 36 (fig. 30); Tom Jenkins – page 35; Pete Lacker – cover, pages 10, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 28, 29, 32, 33, 38, inside back cover Sherry Owens – pages 6, 9, 34, 36 (fig. 31 & 32), 37, 40, 44

46

Figure 34

Dust Devil, 2002 (detail)

SHERRY OWENS: A SURVEY – ROOTED IN THE EARTH WEST TEX AS TRIANGLE

San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts The Grace Museum, Abilene The Old Jail Art Center, Albany Museum of the Southwest, Midland Ellen Noël Art Museum of the Permian Basin, Odessa