August 9, 2019 - October 20, 2019
Cowboy Ethics – A Life Well Lived, features 10 mural paintings along with a selection of drawings and sketches by nationally known Wyoming artist and illustrator Zachary Pullen. This exhibit opens in the S. K. Johnston, Jr. Family Gallery beginning August 10 and continues through October 20.
A reception to meet the artist takes place on Sunday, August 11, from 3 to 5 PM. Pullen will present an informal Gallery Talk on his art on Sunday. The artist’s reception and Gallery Talk are offered free and open to the public.
Cowboy Ethics – A Life Well Lived is a ten-part narrative about Wyoming philanthropist and businessman Mick McMurry (1946 – 2015) who through his great generosity affected the lives of numerous individuals. McMurry earned his degree from his beloved University of Wyoming and he served in the Vietnam War. Returning home to Casper (WY), McMurry started a successful construction business. However, it was the energy business where he was to make his mark. McMurry was a pioneer with his father W.M. “Neil” McMurry in the production of natural gas from the Jonah Field near Pinedale in the 1990s. Throughout the years, the McMurry Foundation was more than generous to the University of Wyoming and other charitable organizations including the McMurry Training Center in Casper, an organization dedicated to offering training for jobs in heavy industry. It is the commonplace person, the down-to-earth Mick McMurry that Pullen celebrates in his colorful, whimsical murals created for Cowboy Ethics – A Life Well Lived.
This exhibition is made possible by generous contributions from the Edwin T. Meredith Foundation, the Richard Hammer Trust, and the Tucker Foundation.
Zachary Pullen
Zachary Pullen’s illustrations have won numerous awards and garnered starred reviews. He has been honored several times with acceptance into the prestigious Society of Illustrators juried shows and the Communication Arts: Illustration Annual, best in current illustration. Pullen was the featured children’s storybook illustrator at The Brinton Museum in 2015 and has also participated in “The Brinton 101” small works shows. Zak lives in Casper with his wife Renate and son Hudson where he is currently working on several mural projects and private commissions.