Past Exhibitions

Cattle ranching has been a cornerstone of Texas’ economy even before there was a Texas. Most people don’t realize that there was a system of coastal ranches in The Lone Star State that had to essentially reinvent the industry and adapt their horses, gear, and clothing to new landscapes and obstacles. Some of these coastal ranches were among the first in the state to adopt new technologies in the industry such as fencing, branding cattle, and protecting the health of their herds.

Covering periods of booms and busts in the cattle industry, this exhibit will highlight some of the most notable cowboys of this period in Texas history and the “brands they rode for”. Coastal Cowboys will be on display at The Bryan Museum from November 16, 2024, through February 9, 2025.

Lonesome Dove, a new traveling exhibition created by The Wittliff Collections at the Alkek Library, Texas State University, and presented in partnership with Humanities Texas will be on display at The Bryan Museum starting July 26.

Lonesome Dove—Larry McMurtry’s epic novel of two aging Texas Rangers who drive a herd of stolen cattle 2,500 miles from the Rio Grande to Montana to found the first ranch there—captured the public imagination and has never let it go. The Lonesome Dove miniseries, which first aired on CBS in 1989, lassoed an even wider audience.

Capturing the sweeping visual imagery of the original miniseries, the Lonesome Dove exhibition presents classic images taken during filming by Bill Wittliff, renowned photographer, writer, and executive producer (with Suzanne De Passe) of Lonesome Dove. The images, however, are worlds apart from ordinary production stills, depicting an extraordinary union of art, literature, and history.

This exhibition brings to life the story of segregated high school football in Texas. Players from the formerly all-black league that features prominently in this exhibit went on to help break the color barrier in professional sports and many have been inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame.

Recollections from the teams, individual players, coaches, and fans who contributed to this era of Texas history paired with personal belongings and trophies will immerse viewers into the tribulations and triumphs of these brave athletes. Thursday Night Lights does more than just tell the story of the Prairie View Interscholastic League. It connects visitors to the personal side of this important time in the story of Texas.

The exhibit also shows the league’s social relevance, its place in Texas Black history, and its social impact across communities both black and white during a racially repressive time. Based on the book by historian and former sports journalist Michael Hurd, “Thursday Night Lights, the Story of Black High School Football In Texas,” (published by the University of Texas Press in 2017) this compelling history will be brought to life in a dynamic exhibit at the museum, both introducing and remembering the African American men and boys who coached and played organized football at segregated schools in Texas for half a socially dark century. Mr. Hurd also served as co-curator on this exhibit. This exhibit will be on display from April 20 through July 2, 2023.

On display will be 40 framed lithographs of watercolors by two of Texas’ most distinguished artists in ornithological renderings, Stuart and
Scott Gentling. 

Fascinated by the work of John James Audubon, who traveled North America in the 1800s sketching and painting native birds and animals, the Gentling brothers traveled Texas in the mid- 1980s to capture this state’s abundant bird life on canvas. Texas, because of its geographic location and rich ecological regions, is the permanent or temporary home to over 600 species of birds. 

The brother’s dream was to create a large-scale portfolio (termed an elephant folio) of the birds, with written commentary. When Of Birds & Texas was introduced in 1986, the late Texas writer A.C. Greene hailed the finished project as “the most stunning and prodigious book in Texas history.” Of Birds and Texas Exhibit will be at The Bryan Museum from July 22nd through October 16, 2022. 

The museum is also partnering with The Galveston Bay Foundation and the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council to create workshops and design educational features that will enhance the exhibit.