Exhibition Celebrates Bill Paxton Family's Legacy And Lifelong Passion For Collecting Fine Art
The John and Mary Lou Paxton collection showcases a lifelong collecting passion, spanning a variety of international as well as regional artists. Works by American artists Nathan Oliviera, David Ligare, and Wolf Kahn contrast with the Bauhaus-inspired works of Herbert Bayer and the minimal abstractions of American painter Frederick Hammersley. These abstract works balance against the Paxtons interest in art of the American Southwest, including Fritz Scholder, Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith, and Randy White.
The works are more than paintings to me; they are my memories of growing up in my parents home, said Bill Paxton in September 2016.
Growing up in Missouri in the 1940s, John Paxton became fascinated with art when famous American Regionalist painter Thomas Hart Benton moved in next door. The Paxtons and Bentons became fast friends; John even posed for Benton in the painting Shipping Out (1942), now in the collection of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
In the 1950s, John and Mary Lou moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where John joined the board of the Fort Worth Art Museum and the couple began to build their intensely personal collection of contemporary art. After moving to the San Diego area in 1980, the Paxtons continued to visit galleries, often meeting and becoming friends with the artists whose works they collected. The lifelong pursuit resulted in a significant collection ranging from representational paintings to abstract pieces.
The relationship between the Paxtons and the Nevada Museum of Art began in 2003 and grew from a shared affinity for and interest in the West. Visiting Reno several times over the years, the Paxtons became impressed by the museums growing collections, Reno community, and Will Bruder-designed facility that pays homage to the northern Nevada landscape. Over the past decade, the Nevada Museum of Art was fortunate to develop a close friendship with the Paxton family.
While the museum mourns the loss of this lovely couple and their son, we celebrate John and Mary Lous thoughtful and generous gift to the Nevada Museum of Art and our community, said David B. Walker, Nevada Museum of Art executive director and CEO.