Breckenridge Texan

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

The Breckenridge Fine Arts Center’s 34th annual Juried Art Show is on exhibit through Sept. 26, featuring a variety of artwork by artists from Breckenridge, as well as throughout Texas and several other states. The BFAC also has the “Weathered Wood and Rust: Exploring Forgotten Texas” on display in the east gallery.

The Breckenridge Fine Arts Center’s 34th annual Juried Art Show includes artwork by some Breckenridge artists, including this oil painting, “Holding Light” by Leslie Blackerby.

The Juried Art Show comprises 94 pieces, including paintings, sculptures, mixed media and fiber art. The artwork includes landscapes, florals, still lifes and portraits, and ranges from black and white drawings to bright jewel tones.

Many of the pieces have a western theme, such as cowboys, cattle, Native Americans, etc. There are also quite a few wildlife themed pieces, including animals such as bobcats, buffalo, bears, mountain lions and even a spider.

In addition to many paintings and drawings, there are four bronze sculptures, a painted porcelain plate and several fiber art pieces featuring weaving, embroidery, etc.

“We have a great variety of beautiful pieces from different artists from all over,” said Robyn Brooks, director of the BFAC. “It’s not all traditional, but there is some traditional. It’s not all abstract, but there is some abstract.”

This year’s juror is Barbara Hack, an artist from Flower Mound. According to the bio on her website, Hack “received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drawing and painting after intensive study in Europe and additional training in New York. Since then, she has continued to harness her artistic talents to drive her professional career. Work in portraiture, fashion illustration, and as a courtroom artist have all allowed Barbara to challenge herself with alternative contexts for figurative artistry, and in a variety of mediums, including graphite, pastels, prismacolor and oils.”

Hack’s large oil painting titled “Jerome: A Life’s Collage” was deemed “Best of Show” in the BFAC’s 2025 juried art show, and her painting “The Artist” won the same honor in the 2024 show. She is a member of the Portrait Society of America, Oil Painters of America, and National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society.

After viewing the art show last month, Hack picked the following award winners:

“Stillness Within the Leaves” by Patsy Lindamood of Huntsville was awarded the “Best of Show” in the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center’s Juried Art Show. (Photo courtesy of the BFAC)

• Best of Show – “Stillness Within the Leaves” by Patsy Lindamood of Huntsville, Texas
• First Place – “Old Fashioned Lemon Pie” by Judi Simon of Hewitt, Texas
• Second Place – “Water Log” by John Thomasson of Lubbock, Texas
• Third Place – “The Orange Lock” by Kathleen Cunning of Weatherford, Texas
• Honorable Mentions
  • “Mission Origins – Tecolote, NM” by Suzanne Horner of San Angelo, Texas
  • “Mother” by Laura Willig of San Angelo, Texas
  • “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” by Cynthia LaBuda of Lipan, Texas
  • “Curaidh” by Marie Gray of Waxahachie, Texas

In announcing the winners, Brooks wrote in an email, “Congratulations to all our award recipients! To every artist who entered the exhibition, thank you for sharing your creativity and talent with us. Your participation is what makes this annual show such a meaningful celebration of the arts, and we are grateful to each of you for being part of this year’s exhibition.”

The BFAC will host a closing reception and awards celebration on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 2 to 4 p.m. Hack and many of the artists featured in the show will be in attendance.

Breckenridge artist Bob Swindle’s pen and ink “Sometimes I Dream in Color” is featured in the juried show.

Photography Exhibit

The “Weathered Wood and Rust: Exploring Forgotten Texas” features the work of a group of photographers who call themselves The Lightcatchers.

This photo by Mike Moody is part of the “Weathered Wood and Rust: Exploring Forgotten Texas” on display at the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center through Aug. 31.

Tracy Smith, Marian Kalka and brothers Mark Moody, Kent Moody, and Mike Moody comprise the Lightcatchers. According to information they shared with the BFAC, the name “refers to the notion that photography, at its essence, is about capturing light. The lens, aperture, and sensor (or film) conspire to manipulate light so that an image might be formed and preserved. The Lightcatchers got together simply on the shared interest in photography. Each of us has their own particular idea of what subject matter is worthy of taking the time to photograph, edit, and have printed.”

The exhibit features a variety of photos focusing on old, weathered buildings, abandoned churches, rusted vehicles and more.

“‘Weathered Wood and Rust’ is the theme of our show, and we believe those things add character in the form of texture and earthy colors to the subjects of our photography,” the photographers explain in their exhibit information. “Time etches its mark on the battered wood of an old barn or homestead or the rusted façade of an old automobile or farm machinery.”

The exhibit will be on display through Aug. 31.

The BFAC is located at 207 N. Breckenridge Ave. and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, visit the website www.breckenridgefineart.org or call the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center at 254-559-6602.

The Lightcatchers — Kent Moody, Tracy Smith, Mark Moody, Marian Kalka and Mike Moody — were in Breckenridge on June 27 for the Meet the Artists reception. Their exhibit, “Weathered Wood and Rust: Exploring Forgotten Texas” is on display at the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center through Aug. 31. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: The Breckenridge Fine Arts Center’s annual Juried Art Show will be on exhibit through Sept. 26. It features 94 pieces, including paintings, sculptures, mixed media and fiber art. (Photo by Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan)