north texas recalled: the painterly chronicles of jack erwin

North Texas Recalled: The Painterly Chronicles of Jack Erwin 1

Turner House, Dallas Exhibi on on View

North Texas Recalled: The Painterly Chronicles of Jack Erwin

February 21–28, 2013

Cover: Tom Field Farm House, 1970, oil on canvas board, 12 x 16 inches

February 21–28 10 AM–5 PM; Sunday 12–5 PM Exhibi on Viewing

February 21 7:30–9 PM Salon Series Lecture Beyond the Dallas Nine: The Regionalist Legacy in Texas Art

A discussion of the con nuing evolu on of regionalist themes in Texas art using examples of work by Erwin and other ar sts.

February 23 4–5 PM Exhibi on Overview The Life and Work of Jack Erwin

5–8 PM Recep on Violin selec ons will be performed by Sue Rodriguez, the ar st’s daughter, using Erwin violin #47.

North Texas Recalled: The Painterly Chronicles of Jack Erwin

Exhibi on and events at

Turner House 401 N. Rosemont Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75208


Jack Erwin, Architect, Artist, Violin Maker and Friend I knew Jack as a friend for years and was one of his many admirers. He was a very, very remarkable person, born 1920 in Jacksboro, Texas and deeply dedicated to art, music and architecture. He became interested in music when his father, a Gulf Oil distributor, traded gasoline for music lessons from a professor at TCU. As an architectural student at UT in 1938, Jack was required to take art classes—his introduc on to art. Recogni on came early when, in 1941, he exhibited two pain ngs in the Texas General at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. Jack served in the US Navy during WWII and later Korea. He painted with watercolors in the Pacific while serving as a Docking Officer. In 1946, the DMA gave Jack a one‐man show of 50 of the pain ngs. These works were later donated to the Panhandle‐Plains Historical Museum and designated as American Treasures by the Na onal Trust for Historic Preserva on. He returned from the war to Dallas in 1952 to work as an architect. He painted in watercolors un l Reveau Basse moved next door in 1969. They became fast friends and painted together for many years, during which me Reveau persuaded him to change to oils.

Jack married Ella Webster in 1949. One day she said, “I wish you would make a violin.” He got some instruc ons from a Popular Mechanics magazine and eventually made 140 violins, seven cellos and a viola, all the me prac cing architecture and pain ng. He loved to tell of mee ng famous musicians who admired the quality of his instruments. He gave a few away but otherwise carefully numbered and stored them. In all things Jack was me culous. He numbered and signed all of his 602 pain ngs and described each loca on. All of his instruments were signed and numbered and carefully stored. He retained many of his architectural plans and could describe the project in detail. But best of all he was a good friend and a joy to be with. Bill Cheek, Texas Art Collector


North Texas Recalled: The Painterly Chronicles of Jack Erwin Scenes of 1970s Dallas and North Texas command center‐stage in this retrospec ve exhibi on of pain ngs by Jack Erwin (1920–2009). His plein‐air pain ngs bring back memories of the many small towns and farming communi es that once do ed this sector of the state, but have now all but vanished into today’s modern “metroplex.” An architect and a painter, Erwin captured his scenes of then‐rural communi es such as Plano, Frisco, Grapevine, Farmers Branch, Addison and Garland punctuated with the general stores, lumber yards, farm houses, rail sta ons and other architectural gems which have now mostly disappeared. By se ng down his own record of the local scene as he encountered it during the closing decades of the twen eth century, Erwin followed in the footsteps of great Dallas regionalists such as O s Dozier, Charles Bowling and Olin Travis. Aside from their painterly quali es, Erwin’s series of well‐composed, plein‐air studies are historically significant as a visual record of a part of the state as it underwent drama c transforma on in the la er quarter of the 20th century. The ar st was conscious of the rapid development of these rural areas and hastened to record the heart of his North Texas homeland before urbaniza on of these small towns. To this end, it is possible to conceive of Erwin’s pain ngs as a body of work that may one day rival that of regionalist predecessors as a me‐sensi ve chronicle of the rural remnants of a vanishing sec on of North Texas.


In his life me as an ar st, Jack Erwin conducted his work quietly and produc vely, pursuing excellence with a minimum of fanfare. He exhibited only modestly during his life me and, as he considered himself a working architect and only a “week‐end ar st,” he managed to feign most of the trappings of the professional art world. S ll, Texas art works of fine quality and significant subject ma er are hard to suppress—they inevitably find their way back into the public view. In this exhibi on, William Reaves Fine Art is pleased to team with Turner House and the Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts to return Jack Erwin’s works to their Dallas‐area roots. We are certain that viewers will at once recognize the enlightened eye and adept skills of this excep onal Texas ar st, and will delight in the visual memories of mes and places that once were.

Bill Reaves, Curator

Exhibition Checklist Plate Title of Work Date Medium Size (inches)

1. Athens R. R. Sta on not dated oil/board 18 x 24

2. Bacon’s Lumberyard—Kaufman 1972 oil/canvas board 12 x 16

3. Barn—Greenhill Stables 1978 oil/board 18 x 24

4. Barn—S. Main, Lancaster 1977 oil/board 18 x 24

5. Bri on 1978 oil/board 18 x 24

6. Bri on Building not dated oil/board 18 x 24

7. Bus Sta on Waxahachie 1972 oil/board 12 x 16

8. Country Store, Rocke 1973 oil/board 12 x 16

9. Dallas County Courthouse—Kennedy Memorial 1971 oil/canvas board 18 x 24

10. Dallas R. R. Yards 1970 oil/board 12 x 16

11. Dallas Railroad Yard Buildings 1970 oil/canvas board 12 x 16

12. Dallas Skyline 1985 oil/board 18 x 24

13. Decatur Court House 1972 oil/board 12 x 16

14. F. W. Hall, Galindo not dated oil/board 12 x 16

15. Fall Scene—Lake Ray Hubbard not dated oil/board 18 x 24

16. Farm House W. of Carrollton not dated oil/board 18 x 24

17. Farmers Branch not dated oil/board 18 x 24

18. Farmers Branch Lumberyard 1977 oil/board 18 x 24

19. Farmers Branch Street not dated oil/board 18 x 24

20. First Presbyterian, Midlothian not dated oil/board 18 x 24

21. Fruit Vendor 1978 oil/board 18 x 24

22. Gas Sta on—Grapevine Highway 1972 oil/canvas board 12 x 16

23. Gin Buildings, Red Oak 1973 oil/board 12 x 16

24. Gins Trumbull not dated oil/board 18 x 24


Plate Title of Work Date Medium Size (inches)

25. Grain Elevators, Alamo St. & Ashland St., Dallas 1982 oil/board 18 x 24 26. Grocery, Addison 1975 oil/board 12 x 16 27. Hillsboro 1984 oil/board 18 x 24 28. Hillsboro R. R. Sta on not dated oil/board 18 x 24 29. Hines Blvd. going to Toll Road Entry 1970 oil/canvas board 18 x 24 30. House—Caroline St. 1973 oil/canvas board 12 x 16 31. House Near Wilmer 1973 oil/canvas board 12 x 16 32. Houses—Thawing Snow, Dallas 1977 oil/board 18 x 24 33. Katy Sta on, Garland not dated oil/board 18 x 24 34. Lemmon Ave. not dated oil/board 18 x 24 35. Lumber Yard, Grapevine 1977 oil/board 18 x 24 36. Maple Avenue at Bomar 1971 oil/canvas board 18 x 24 37. Mr. Blacketer’s House, Rowle 1970 oil/canvas board 18 x 24 38. Old City Service Sta on not dated oil/board 18 x 24 39. Pacific Avenue, Dallas 1980 oil/board 18 x 24 40. Plano Sta on 1973 oil/canvas board 12 x 16 41. R. R. Sta on, Waxahachie 1976 oil/board 18 x 24 42. Red Oak 1973 oil/canvas board 12 x 16 43. Red Oak Gin not dated oil/board 18 x 24 44. Rocke Chris an Church not dated oil/board 18 x 24 45. Seagoville 1985 oil/board 18 x 24 46. Selling Out—Denton Rd. not dated oil/board 12 x 16 47. Shoe Shine Stand, Fairfield not dated oil/board 24 x 18 48. South Street Scene 1976 oil/board 12 x 16 49. Tom Field Farm House 1970 oil/canvas board 12 x 16



1. Athens R. R. Sta on, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


2. Bacon’s Lumberyard—Kaufman, 1972, oil on canvas board, 12 x 16 inches


3. Barn—Greenhill Stables, 1978, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


4. Barn—S. Main, Lancaster, 1977, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


5. Bri on, 1978, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


6. Bri on Building, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


7. Bus Sta on Waxahachie, 1972, oil on board, 12 x 16 inches


8. Country Store, Rocke , 1973, oil on board, 12 x 16 inches


9. Dallas County Courthouse—Kennedy Memorial, 1971, oil on canvas board, 18 x 24 inches


10. Dallas R. R. Yards, 1970, oil on board, 12 x 16 inches


11. Dallas Railroad Yard Buildings, 1970, oil on canvas board, 12 x 16 inches


12. Dallas Skyline, 1985, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


13. Decatur Court House, 1972, oil on board, 12 x 16 inches


14. F. W. Hall, Galindo, not dated, oil on board, 12 x 16 inches


15. Fall Scene—Lake Ray Hubbard, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


16. Farm House W. of Carrollton, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


17. Farmers Branch, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


18. Farmers Branch Lumberyard, 1977, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


19. Farmers Branch Street, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


20. First Presbyterian, Midlothian, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


21. Fruit Vendor, 1978, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


22. Gas Sta on—Grapevine Highway, 1972, oil on canvas board, 12 x 16 inches


23. Gin Buildings, Red Oak, 1973, oil on board, 12 x 16 inches


24. Gins Trumbull, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


25. Grain Elevators, Alamo St. & Ashland St., Dallas, 1982, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


26. Grocery, Addison, 1975, oil on board, 12 x 16 inches


27. Hillsboro, 1984, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


28. Hillsboro R. R. Sta on, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


29. Hines Blvd. going to Toll Road Entry, 1970, oil on canvas board, 18 x 24 inches


30. House—Caroline St., 1973, oil on canvas board, 12 x 16 inches


31. House Near Wilmer, 1973, oil on canvas board, 12 x 16 inches


32. Houses—Thawing Snow, Dallas, 1977, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


33. Katy Sta on, Garland, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


34. Lemmon Ave., not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


35. Lumber Yard, Grapevine, 1977, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


36. Maple Avenue at Bomar, 1971, oil on canvas board, 18 x 24 inches


37. Mr. Blacketer’s House, Rowle , 1970, oil on canvas board, 18 x 24 inches


38. Old City Service Sta on, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


39. Pacific Avenue, Dallas, 1980, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


40. Plano Sta on, 1973, oil on canvas board, 12 x 16 inches


41. R. R. Sta on, Waxahachie, 1976, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


42. Red Oak, 1973, oil on canvas board, 12 x 16 inches


43. Red Oak Gin, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


44. Rocke Chris an Church, not dated, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


45. Seagoville, 1985, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches


46. Selling Out—Denton Rd., not dated, oil on board, 12 x 16 inches


47. Shoe Shine Stand, Fairfield, not dated, oil on board, 24 x 18 inches


48. South Street Scene, 1976, oil on board, 12 x 16 inches


49. Tom Field Farm House, 1970, oil on canvas board, 12 x 16 inches

JACK ERWIN Selected Biographical and Career Highlights 1920, Born in Jacksboro, Texas 1943, Bachelor of Architecture, University of Texas, Aus n, Texas 1969, Befriends Reveau Basse , who persuades Erwin to work in oils 1999, WWII‐era watercolors designated as an Official Project of Save America’s

Treasures by the Na onal Trust for Historic Preserva on 2009, Dies in Natchitoches, Louisiana Selected Exhibi ons 1941, Texas General Exhibi on, Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Texas 1945, Annual Exhibi on, California Watercolor Society, California 1946, One‐man show at Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Texas 1975, Panhandle‐Plains Historical Museum, Canyon, Texas 2007, True Texas Art by Jack Erwin, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas Selected Collec ons Panhandle‐Plains Historical Museum, Canyon, Texas Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, Louisiana Numerous private collec on


Sponsored by William Reaves Fine Art Hosted by Turner House/Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts

For informa on about this exhibi on and other events at Turner House, please contact: Sco Chase, Board Chair, [email protected]

For pricing informa on or details about these and other works by Jack Erwin, please contact: Bill Reaves, President, [email protected] Steve Gaskin, Associate, [email protected]

Turner House 401 N. Rosemont Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75208

Phone: 214.880.0404 www.turnerhouse.org

William Reaves Fine Art 2313 Brun Street, Houston, Texas 77019

Phone: 713.521.7500 www.reavesart.com


north texas recalled: the painterly chronicles of jack erwin

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