The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) is pleased to present a selection of recent acquisitions into the permanent collection in the West Hall gallery. These works were acquired through donations and purchases over the last year.

AMSET’s permanent collection consists of nearly 1,700 objects representing over 430 named artists. Artworks within the collection include paintings, collages, textile works, large and small sculptures, drawings, photographs, decorative arts, folk art, and mixed media objects. AMSET began acquiring works in 1950 and continues to add artworks through donations and museum purchases. Over the past decade, a concentrated effort has been placed on narrowing the focus of the permanent collection to assemble a cohesive but integrated body of artwork. Areas of concentration include 19th – 21st c. modern and contemporary North American and Mexican art with a focus on this region. The permanent collection includes the recently acquired John G. Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art, which numbers 474 objects.

The permanent collection includes: Texas Fine and Folk Art, Regional Fine and Folk Art, American Folk Art, Mexican Folk Art, Early American Art (prior to 1970), European Art and Decorative Arts. 

Artists’ names are listed in the order their work is presented from left to right in the West Hall.

Daniel Johnston (1961 – 2019) was an American singer, musician and visual artist who was based in Austin, Texas. He is well-known in the outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. His mural of the Hi, How Are You? frog (also known as “Jeremiah the Innocent”) is a popular attraction in Austin, Texas. The addition of this ink on board artwork by Johnston falls under the Texas Folk Art category. He is a new artist added to the collection.

Darrell Troppy (1961 – 2021) was an American artist who was based in Beaumont, Texas. He is most well-known for his encaustic paintings and drawings. He was particularly inspired by the theatre, as represented by these beautiful ballerina renderings. Troppy was a driving force in starting the City of Beaumont’s Paint an Electric Box project, resulting in local artists’ work being exhibited outside all over the city. Troppy’s legacy lies in the incredible oeuvre of work he left behind, including drawings, paintings, sketches, and photographs, as well as the many friends and family that he inspired. His work enters the Texas Fine Art category. He is a new artist added to the collection.

Winslow Homer (1836 – 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator who was based in various states throughout the US, including New York and Massachusetts. He often depicted scenes of everyday life during the 1800s and was well-recognized in the art world for his realism. His work inspired generations of fine artists and illustrators.  This hand-colored print enters the Early American Art category.

Porfirio Salinas (1910 – 1973) was an American landscape painter based in San Antonio, Texas. He was one of the first Mexican American artists to become nationally recognized for his paintings and was described by the The New York Times as being United States President Lyndon B. Johnson’s favorite painter. He is well-known for his paintings of Texas wildflowers, particularly bluebonnets, and landscapes of Texas Hill Country. His painting enters the Texas Fine Art category and continues AMSET’s tradition of collecting work from artists who have previously exhibited at AMSET. This is the first of his artworks to be added to the collection.

Dalhart Windberg (b. 1933) is an American still life and landscape painter based in Georgetown, Texas. His painting style is unique and uses techniques from the old masters to create a smooth surface using diluted modeling paste to prepare his canvases. His work is highly collectible and easily recognized due to the numerous prints and reproductions of his work. His painting enters the Texas Fine Art category. This is the first of his artworks to be added to the collection. 

Ruth Borinstein (b. 1924) is an American abstract and figural painter based in Austin, Texas. While living in Southeast Texas, she often participated in juried exhibitions at the Beaumont Art Museum (now AMSET). In addition, she ran a well-known art gallery in Beaumont. Her work enters the Texas Fine Art category.

Shawne Major (b. 1968) is an American mixed media and assemblage artist based in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. She sews objects that are donated to her or that she thrifts to create abstract, highly dimensional, physical “paintings”. Major recently exhibited at AMSET and her exhibition Shawne Major: Force Majeure and other compulsions was on view in the main galleries from September 30 to December 3, 2023. Her assemblage enters the Regional Fine category and continues AMSET’s tradition of collecting work from artists who have previously exhibited at AMSET. This is the first of her artworks to be added to the collection. 

Alicia Eggert (b. 1981) is an American mixed media and installation artist based in Denton, Texas. She is well-known for her use of neon signage in her text-based artworks, which focus on statements about political activism and social justice. Eggert recently exhibited at AMSET and her exhibition, Alicia Eggert: All the Light You See, was on view in the main galleries from April 13 to July 7, 2024. Her lenticular print enters the Texas Fine Art category and continues AMSET’s tradition of collecting work from artists who have previously exhibited at AMSET. This is the first of her artworks to be added to the collection.