"San Angelo Silver": A Silver Inlay Workshop and Lecture by Wilson Capron
"San Angelo Silver": A Silver Inlay Workshop and Lecture by Wilson Capron
LECTURE IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
WORKSHOP IS FREE AND OPEN TO INDIVIDUALS 14 AND OLDER, BUT PARTICIPANTS MUST SUBMIT SHORT FORM BELOW TO BE CONSIDERED:
Click Here for a Physical Copy of the Application
To promote the unique tradition of cowboy arts in the western region of Texas, Texas Folklife and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts (SAMFA) will sponsor a beginner silver inlay workshop with bit and spur maker Wilson Capron, as well as a public lecture at SAMFA. The workshop will be held in San Angelo the week of Spring Break, from Monday March 12, 2018 to Wednesday March 14, 2018 at SAMFA, with a lecture on Thursday, March 15, 2018 by Wilson Capron.
Workshop Time March 12 – March 14. 8am-5pm
Lecture Time 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 15. 2018.
Location: SAMFA Meeting Room.
Free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
The workshop reflects efforts by Texas Folklife to offer program services to the diverse geographic regions and rich cultural traditions of the Lone Star State, and SAMFA’s Cultural District/maker district initiative. Over a period of three days, the workshop will aim to provide an opportunity for young emerging artists to pursue their interests under the direction of accomplished bit and spur maker Wilson Capron. The lecture will seek to contextualize the practice of silver inlay within the larger art of spur making through an overview of designs and historical discussion. Topics explored in the lecture will act to provide a greater understanding and appreciation of spur making in the community as significant works of art.
Wilson Capron grew up in far West Texas with a family background in ranching. He is the son of Mike and Anne Capron of Sheffield, TX and a brother to Liz Capron of Ft. Worth, TX. He graduated from Fort Davis High School in 1992 and from Texas A&M University-Commerce in 1996 with a degree in Ag-Business. That same year, he began to apprentice under bit and spur maker Greg Darnall. Wilson's unique designs also stem from the influence of his father, a cowboy artist. Today, Wilson lives in Christoval, Texas, with his wife Katy, and their daughters Macy and Emmy, where his interest in horsemanship and roping continue to contribute to his art as a bit and spur maker.
The workshop and lecture aim to accomplish two main goals. The first seeks to provide a greater awareness and representation of the diverse regions and peoples of Texas. With a particular focus on the rural areas of the Western Texas region, silver inlay falls under the larger art of engraving, a craft symbolic to the identity of the West Texas Cowboy. Present in bits, spurs, guns, silverwork, and several other objects relevant to ranching life, engraving represents one of the foundational forms of expression in cowboy arts. This workshop therefore provides a means for young, emerging artists to explore this craft under the direction of experienced bit and spur maker Wilson Capron.
The second goal of this workshop is the continuation of this tradition under the Texas Folklife Apprenticeships in the Folk & Traditional Arts Program. The program promotes the traditional arts through awards to experienced master artists to train the next generation of emerging artists in a traditional art, craft, music, or other tradition. This program is supported by the State Partnership award from the National Endowment from the Arts, in partnership with the Texas Commission on the Arts. In specific relation to the engraving workshop, we hope to inspire workshop participants to learn more about this craft, and apply to the Apprenticeship Program to further refine their skills under the direction of a master artist. Whether the art is continued under the direction of Wilson Capron or another engraver, this workshop aims to inspire the next generation of cowboy artists to pursue this art vital to the identity of the West Texas Cowboy.
The Thursday-night lecture is free and open to the public. The workshop will be provided to a maximum of six students that have shown an interest in engraving and are committed to continue this interest further under the direction of an experienced artist. Through the cooperation of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, and the support of the FMH Foundation, those selected will be able to participate in the workshop free of charge.
This program is made possible in part by the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, the board and members of Texas Folklife, a generous grant from the FMH Foundation, Midland, a State Partnership award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art, in partnership with the Texas Commission on the Arts, and support from the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association.
