William E. Reaves

E. M. (Buck) Schiwetz (1898–1984) could be called a “favorite son” among Texas artists working in the twentieth century. Schiwetz ranks among the state’s best-known early artists, having left behind an important body of iconic Texas imagery produced over a prodigious career spanning some seven decades. Educated as an architect at A&M College of Texas, he parlayed this training with natural acumen to become a consummate draftsman, prominent illustrator, and celebrated artist. In the mid-twentieth century, Schiwetz distinguished himself as an active participant in the rise of Texas art. As the Texas art scene experienced a period of dynamic growth and development, his artwork evolved across successive movements of Lone Star Impressionism, Regionalism, Modernism, and Expressionism. During his lifetime, the artwork of Buck Schiwetz arguably graced more publications than that of any other Texas artist. Featured in popular journals such as The Humble Way or published in the pioneering art books issued by academic presses at both the University of Texas and Texas A&M University, Schiwetz’s Texas imagery has long been employed to portray and celebrate Lone Star history and culture. The Artistic Legacy of Buck Schiwetz provides a long-overdue examination of this important Texas artist and his legacy: the first authoritative treatment of Schiwetz’s career as both fine artist and accomplished illustrator, and the first scholarly examination of his full body of work.

In 2023, the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife marks the 100th anniversary of the state park system. From its inception in 1923, the Texas park system has grown to 95 sites, covering more than 627,000 acres and comprising 74 state parks, 13 historic sites, and 8 natural areas. This vast collection of natural lands and public places now accommodates almost 9 million visitors each year. The Art of Texas State Parks celebrates this rich tradition, offering an engaging visual arts survey of Texas state parks as seen through the eyes of leading artists from across the state. Editors Andrew Sansom and Linda J. Reaves have collected original works from thirty of the state’s most influential artists. These stunning visual works are accompanied by a thoughtful essay by William E. Reaves on the time-honored legacy of landscape painting in Texas and by Sansom’s reflections on the vital place of landscape art in Texas conservation. Rounding out the collection, assistant state park director Kevin Good offers an informative profile of Texas state parks, and the work concludes with profiles of the artists whose pieces appear in this special centennial collection. The centennial of the state parks system offers the perfect occasion to create a lasting visual record of Texas parks in art while memorializing the past and ongoing development of the distinctive collection of Lone Star parks and natural areas. The Art of Texas State Parks offers readers increased awareness of Texas parklands and heightens their popular appeal through the elegant and inspired works of some of Texas’ finest contemporary artists. Includes the work of these artists: Randy Bacon, Abilene Mary Baxter, Marfa David Caton, Utopia Charles Criner, Houston Margie Crisp, Elgin Ric Dentinger, San Antonio Fidencio Duran, Austin Janet Eager Krueger, Encinal Joel R. Edwards, Waco Malou Flato, Austin Gordon Fowler, Austin Pat Gabriel, Fort Worth David R. Griffin, Dallas Brian Grimm, Fredericksburg Clemente F. Guzman III, San Antonio Karl E. Hall, Houston John Austin Hanna, Fredericksburg Billy Hassell, Fort Worth Hailey E. Herrera, Bryan Lee Jamison, Huntsville Denise LaRue Mahlke, Whitehouse Talmage Minter, Waco William B. Montgomery, Elgin Kermit Oliver, Waco Noe Perez, Corpus Christi Jeri Salter, Hutto Jim Stoker, San Antonio Bob Stuth-Wade, Dublin Terri M. Wells, Austin

A significant collection of Texas paintings and prints hangs humbly and inconspicuously throughout the offices, conference rooms, and hallways of Texas A&M University Press. These works comprise the Frank H. Wardlaw Collection of Texas Art, named in honor of the Press's founding director, who was one of the genuine publishing icons of his day. Established in 1983 at the dedication of the new headquarters of Texas A&M University Press on the campus of Texas A&M, the collection began with twenty inaugural contributions that came as gifts from respected Texas artists whose art appeared in the books Wardlaw had shepherded to publication at the Press. Since then, the collection—which continues to be linked to artists published by the Press—has grown to house more than one hundred paintings, photographs, and illustrations. Among the noted artists featured in the collection are E. M. (Buck) Schiwetz, Otis Dozier, Michael Frary, Everett Spruce, Emily Guthrie Smith, Jerry Bywaters, and, among more recent additions, Dorothy Hood and Richard Stout. Through interviews with longtime staff and research into the Press's book files and correspondence, William and Linda Reaves have uncovered the captivating history of this unlikely collection. In A Book Maker's Art, they present the freshly assembled story of the Wardlaw collection, from its modest yet unique beginning to its present-day status as one of the university's excellent collections of Texas art, reflecting the exceptional bond of arts and letters that has come to distinguish Texas A&M University Press.