Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas — Ten student artists now have 21 of their works in the permanent art collection of Amarillo National Bank thanks to a new partnership.

The acrylic and oil paintings now hang in ANB’s Georgia Street Financial Center, 3101 S. Georgia St.

“At Amarillo National Bank, we’ve always thought that art brings people together, so this partnership makes perfect sense for us,” said Sean Fuqua, ANB facilities project manager. “We are not only able to bring exposure and give real-life experience to the students, but we also are able to provide our customers and employees with bold, beautiful pieces of exceptional art filling our branches.”

The commission project began over the summer when Fuqua approached the University to express interest in purchasing works by students, said Jon Revett, associate professor of painting and drawing.

“This project came at a fortuitous time for our students because so many of them were unable to show work in our annual exhibition at Amarillo Museum of Art, a high point of the year for them,” Revett said.

Revett and Fuqua determined how many pieces would be needed and what sizes they should be, then came up with a standard pricing guideline and made a list of students whose aesthetics matched the bank’s needs. Each student artist was asked to create two or three pieces.

“The quality of the paintings exceeded all expectations,” Revett said. “And this project gave them real-world experience in commission work, which is one of the many ways practicing artists earn income.”

Revett said he hopes the partnership becomes a prototype for an art purchasing program for other institutions in the area.

“It is common practice for universities to purchase work from their students to decorate their campus as the perfect fusion of support for the students and the economic acquisition of high- caliber artworks, and we would hope to see this project expand,” Revett said. “These successes demonstrate a healthy relationship between the university and local businesses. Amarillo National Bank has made many great cultural contributions to our community, and this commission project right in line with this mission.”

Students represented in the collection are graduate students Michael Merriman of Amarillo, Nicole Stewart of Saltillo, Miss., and Ix Houseal of Amarillo; recent alums Heather Hancock of Muleshoe, Aaron Taylor of Amarillo and Emory Elliott of Borger; seniors Clair Ekas, Rachel Dixon and Eva Herrera, all of Amarillo; and junior Loc Dao of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The community partnership and celebration of the arts are both in line with the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. With enrollment of more than 10,000, WT offers 60 undergraduate degree programs, 38 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 15 men’s and women’s athletics programs.