ARTIST BILLY HASSELL KEEPS IT WILD TO RAISE MONEY FOR TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Original Article Published in Patron Magazine | Shelby Gorday
Billy Hassell, a Fort Worth artist, has joined forces with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation to raise money for Keeping it Wild: The Campaign for Texas. Sales from an exclusive lithograph series created by Hassell for the campaign will contribute to the fundraising goal of $100 million by 2018.
The series includes a set of five editions of thirty prints each, as well as a boxed set of all five lithographs. The first lithograph honors a previous Keeping it Wild campaign and highlights the conservation of Powderhorn Ranch. With its rare unspoiled coastal prairie tract, Powderhorn Ranch attracts a diverse group of birds and grasses that inspired several works by Hassell imbued with his signature colorful birds.
“For the setting I chose what I consider to be one of the ranch’s most distinctive features: tall grasses at the edge of the water looking out over a mosaic of grassy islands as far as the eye can see,” said Hassell. “I included as many birds of concern as I could fit in the frame. I’m pleased to be part of this project because it’s important to support efforts to conserve our precious natural heritage.”
Hassell’s first edition was shown at William Campbell Contemporary Art in Fort Worth last year. The next edition will be featured at William Reaves/Sarah Foltz Fine Art in Houston. Hassell is also part of the artist roster at the Conduit Gallery where the boxed set will be available for purchase in addition to William Campbell Contemporary Art. Additional editions will be shown over the next two years with the final edition to be released in spring 2017.
“Billy Hassell brings an artist’s eye to the wild things and wild places that are so precious to Texas,” said chair of TPWF’s board of trustees, Kelly R. Thompson.
Keeping it Wild: The Campaign for Texas began in March 2014. The campaign has raised over $70 million so far. “We hope these beautiful lithographs will inspire Texans to support the campaign,” Thompson adds.
For information about the campaign, visit tpwf.org or contact Anne Brown at 214-720-1478.