Award-Winning Painting Joins San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts Collection

SAN ANGELO, TX — The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts has announced the winner of the 2025 Elta Joyce Murphey Museum Purchase Award — the painting "1957" by Lon Brauer from Granite City, Illinois.

Brauer is one of five En Plein Air Texas Ranch Fellowship artists this year, chosen to live and paint on local ranches for three weeks and then exhibit their work at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

Along with Kirsten Anderson, Zufar Bikbov, Durre Waseem and Jeff Williams, Brauer’s work, including the prize-winning painting, is exhibited in the museum’s second-floor gallery through March 22, 2026.

These five artists were selected from a pool of past En Plein Air Texas competition participants, and for three weeks in September, they lived and painted on Quinn Ranch, south of Brady, and Rocking Chair Ranch, south of San Angelo.

"Instead of a frenzied week of plein air competition in multiple locations, the residency is intended to give the artists the opportunity to absorb their surroundings, work together in fellowship, and to grow as artists while immersed in authentic West Texas ranch life and our uniquely beautiful landscape," information from the museum stated. 

Some of the works produced were entirely plein air (painted on the spot) and others began as plein air sketches that evolved into an entirely new technique, or an entirely new body of work, according to the museum. 

The Elta Joyce Murphey Museum Purchase Award is named for its generous sponsor, who has "graciously" supported the museum’s En Plein Air Texas events since 2014.

This new award is the only award given this year, for one "outstanding work of art that exemplifies the goals of the Ranch Fellowship." The painting, 1957, will now become a permanent resident of San Angelo as it is added to the museum’s collection.

The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum Purchase Award is generously sponsored by Elta Joyce Murphey. EnPlenAirTEXAS’ 2025 Ranch Fellowship is sponsored by Sharon & John Alexander, Tina & Douglas Bean, Mary & Stephen Boster, Christine Brininstool, Debbie & Mike Carroll, Patsy & Kirk Cleere, Jennifer & Tim Crutchfield, Tracey Duke, Elkins Law Firm, Steve Eustis, Lori Francks, Fran & Tom Gregg, Allura Henderson and Wade Mayer, Mary James, Patti Jones and Charles King, Susan & Chauncey Mansell, Cathi & Tim Newton, Ellen Lassetter and George Shankle, Elta Joyce Murphey, Sheryl & Walter Pfluger, Cynthia Quinn, Barbara & Joe Rallo, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, Chris Sugg, David Tarver, Tracy & Nolan Venable, Molly & John Walker, Deborah & Russ Weatherford, Carol & Loyd Whitehead, and anonymous donors.

For more information about SAMFA, go to www.samfa.org.