Reynolds to re-imagine historical Texas performance

OCTOBER 5, 2015 (AUSTIN, TX) — Award-winning Austin composer Graham Reynolds will re-imagine Texas artist Frank Reaugh's groundbreaking 1933 performance Twenty-four Hours with the Herd during two performances on Friday, November 13, 2015, in the Texas Spirit Theater at the Bullock Museum in Austin.

"I am truly excited about this performance," Josh Jacobs, director of film and theaters at the Bullock Museum, said. "To take such an original and innovative event and have it re-imagined by someone as talented as Graham Reynolds is an absolute treat. This will be a fully sensory experience: music, 4D effects, live narration and the beautiful works of Frank Reaugh, all with the backdrop of the lovely Spirit Theater and the Bullock Museum. A truly Texas experience."

Featuring special musical guest Redd Volkaert and narration by Austin writer Gene Fowler, the performances at 7:15 and 9 p.m. will bring to life seven panoramic pastel landscapes that constitute Reaugh's landmark work through projections, live music, and 4D effects.

A restless and intrepid traveler, Reaugh (1860-1945) sketched scenes while riding with cattlemen during the height of Texas's historic roundups. Throughout his 60-year career, Reaugh documented the beauty of the Texas landscape, resulting in hundreds of works that were the foundation of a series of seven large pastel panoramas collectively titled Twenty-four Hours with the Herd, now on view at the Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin.

Running through November 29, the Ransom Center’s exhibition, Frank Reaugh: Landscapes of Texas and the American West, draws on more than 100 artworks from its collections, as well as public and private collections across the state. The exhibition showcases his approach to landscape painting and mastery of the pastel medium.

“Frank Reaugh considered Twenty-four Hours with the Herd to be his Magnum Opus and the keystone to his art collection,” said Ransom Center Curator of Art Peter Mears. “It premiered in Dallas and was described as being an art exhibition and musical all rolled into one. Combining artwork, music, dramatic lighting and the spoken word, Reaugh intended his performance to be an immersive experience bringing trail driving days back to life again."

A complementary exhibition, Tom Lea: Chronicler of 20th Century America, is on view now at the Bullock Museum and features works by one of Reaugh's contemporaries – El Paso artist Tom Lea. Born 47 years apart, Lea and Reaugh painted with passion and clarity the west Texas landscape and people they loved.

In what is the most comprehensive exhibition of Lea's work to date, the Bullock Museum takes an in-depth look at his life and career showing the range of his artistry through illustrations, paintings, writings, and large-scale graphics of murals found in public buildings.

Lea's work reflecting the country and its culture appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, LIFE magazine, Hollywood movies, community post offices, and the White House. Original works on loan from private collections and museums throughout the country provide insight into the history his artworks so beautifully reflect. The exhibition is on view through January 3, 2016 at the Bullock Museum.

Austin-based composer/bandleader Graham Reynolds, who has been called “the quintessential modern composer” by the London Independent, has received four Austin Critic’s Table Awards, the Lowe Music Theater Award, the John Bustin Award for Conspicuous Versatility, an AMP Award, and five Austin Chronicle Best Composer wins, among other accolades.

From HBO to Showtime, from the Cannes Film Festival to the Kennedy Center, and from the BBC to NPR, his work has been used in films, on television, radio, and on stage. Reynolds recently scored the film, “Bernie,” featuring Jack Black; the Hulu TV series “Up To Speed;” and his score to the 2006 Richard Linklater feature film “A Scanner Darkly” was named "Best Soundtrack of the Decade" by Cinema Retro magazine.

"Graham is a Texas treasure," Jacobs said. "We are lucky to have him as part of our local music community. This will be an event not to be missed."

A limited number of tickets are available for this unique performance. For more information and tickets, visit TheStoryofTexas.com.

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Event Details

Twenty-four Hours With the Herd
November 13, 2015
Texas Spirit Theater/Bullock Museum
1800 N. Congress Ave. / Austin, TX
Tickets: $24
TheStoryofTexas.com

Award-winning Austin composer Graham Reynolds re-imagines Frank Reaugh's groundbreaking 1933 performance, Twenty-four Hours with the Herd, with special musical guest Redd Volkaert and narrator Gene Fowler.

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​​The Bullock Texas State History Museum, a division of the State Preservation Board and an accredited institution of the American Alliance of Museums, creates experiences that educate, engage, and encourage a deeper understanding of Texas. With dynamic, award-winning exhibitions that illuminate Texas history, people, and culture, educational programming for all ages, and an IMAX® theater with a screen the size of Texas, the Museum collaborates with more than 700 museums, libraries, archives, organizations, and individuals across the world to bring the Story of Texas to life. For more information, visit www.TheStoryofTexas.com or call (866)369-7108.