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Most art collectors build a collection for several reasons: to decorate their homes, to support artists, and to find inspiration. This exhibition focuses on two collectors who have donated significant works of art to Texas A&M University. Richard and Nona Barrett amassed a significant collection of contemporary Texas art, including works by Randy Twaddle, Earl Staley, Judy Youngblood, and Michael Collins. As visitors view the art, they can gain insights into what inspired these collectors, what styles and themes attracted them, as well as get a sense of their deep appreciation for aesthetics.

Though there is occasionally some variation, the elements of art are comprised of line, shape, tone, color, pattern, texture, and form. When any drawing, painting, sculpture, or design is analyzed, one can see how these component parts combine to create the overall effect of the artwork. While not all of the elements have to appear in a work of art, when they are used, how they relate to each other delivers a distinct look to the work of art. Most images begin their life as line drawings and lines cross over one another to form shapes. Shapes can be filled with tone and color or repeated to create pattern. A shape may be rendered with a rough surface to create a texture, or it can be projected into three dimensions to create form. Each of the elements may also be used individually to stress their own character in an artwork. Using this toolset to examine works in the collection can help the viewer appreciate the artwork and better understand how the artist's composition was put together.

American landscape art is a style of painting that depicts the natural beauty of the United States, including its mountains, forests, rivers and plains. Artists in the exhibition include Thomas Hill, Thomas Hart Benton, Everett Spruce, Gerald Bywaters, and Currier & Ives.