SAMFA to Host July 3 Celebration and Ezra Tucker Exhibit Opening

SAN ANGELO, TX — The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is gearing up for two events this summer: its annual Independence Day celebration on July 3 and the opening of a new art exhibition featuring the work of renowned painter Ezra Tucker.

The July 3 event, titled Art & Independence: "Honoring Sonny Cleere with Every Scoop," will honor the memory of late museum patrons and former board presidents Sonny Cleere and Frank Rose. Festivities include a "Steak of The Arts Cookoff," an outdoor Chick-fil-A picnic, and an indoor BBQ and ice cream party, capped off with a terrace view of San Angelo’s fireworks show. Seating is limited, and tickets can be purchased at SAMFA or on the museum’s website.

City Offices Closed for Independence Day; Fireworks, Pool Events Scheduled

Later that month, SAMFA will open "The Art of Ezra Tucker," a traveling exhibition showcasing dramatic, large-scale paintings depicting North American wildlife and untold stories of black settlers' experience in the American West — including the Buffalo Soldiers. The exhibition opens with a public reception on Thursday, July 10, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., featuring live music and refreshments.

Of his current work, Tucker says, “The challenge I have for myself is to present the beauty and majesty of the natural world to encourage the preservation of wildlife and diversity through my art.”

The exhibit will remain on display through Sept. 7.

For more information, visit www.samfa.org.