Whether it is chatting with the Duke’s Daughter, kicking back to watch an iconic movie, seeing art that highlights the true diversity of the West, or checking out the real spurs that helped shape San Antonio and the West, the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s blockbuster summer fun continues. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

Head to the Briscoe Western Art Museum to enjoy:

• A Conversation with The Duke’s Daughter
Join the Briscoe as John Wayne’s daughter, Aissa Wayne, shares memories of her father with guest curator Andrew Patrick Nelson. Then take advantage of the last chance to see the Briscoe’s blockbuster Still in the Saddle: A New History of Hollywood Westerns exhibit and a unique opportunity for a guided tour with Nelson and Aissa Wayne. The program begins at 2p.m. with a Q&A, followed by the guided tours at 3p.m. on September 4. Wayne, daughter of John and Pilar Wayne, appeared in four of her father’s films as a child, “The Alamo,” “The Comancheros,” “McClintock,” and “Donavon’s Reef,” as she regularly traveled to her father’s movie sets during his career. She wrote a memoir of her life with the Duke, “John Wayne, My Father,” and is a retired criminal and family law attorney.

• See the Spurs at the Briscoe
Of all the gear that cattle drovers carried with them, few pieces of equipment were as notable and personal as the spurs of Spanish and Mexican vaqueros and American cowboys. The Briscoe’s display highlights the variety of spurs seen on the major cattle trails of the 19th century. From the functional design of Texas cowboys to the elaborate silver inlays of California vaqueros, the collection highlights the finest spur makers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The placement of each spur approximates where each maker lived with an example of the work he forged.

• Sharing the True History of the West: “Frank Chisum – Wild West Icon”
The Briscoe is proud to share a bold new addition to its collection, Kim Wiggins’ “Frank Chisum – Wild West Icon.” Wiggins’ fifth piece in his Goodnight-Loving Trail series documenting the first major cattle drives in American history, it portrays black cowboy Frank Chisum roping a stallion out of a large box canyon. A slave until 1860 when cattle king John Chisum paid $400 for his freedom, Frank Chisum gained acclaim during the second great American cattle drive. He assisted in wrangling about 3,000 cattle from Texas to New Mexico. “Frank Chisum – Wild West Icon” is a gift from the Jack and Valerie Guenther Foundation and is on display on the Briscoe’s third floor.

• Showcasing the Missions: New Works Gallery
The Briscoes’ New Works Gallery continually rotates new works, giving everyone an opportunity to enjoy the museum’s collection as it expands. The current selection of works features paintings by Enrique “Kiko” Guerra that show the five San Antonio missions in their full splendor, while the complimenting stereographs—two almost identical photographs that, when viewed side-by-side, create the illusion of a three-dimensional image—show how the missions looked in the 1860s after a century of disrepair and modification. E.M. Hennings’ painting “Spanish Occupation of Texas,” reflects how daily life for indigenous people under Catholic rule must have looked. Crowning the gallery is Jean-Marie Alfred Paris’ “The Siege of Puebla, 1902,” depicting the short-lived French victory outside of Puebla in an otherwise crushing defeat that saw the final withdraw of European military forces from North America.

• Adding Vision to the Sculpture Garden
The latest addition to the museum’s stunning sculpture collection, “Hunters Vision,” 1989, bronze relief with brown patina, ed. 2/6, 51” x 66” x 31 ½,” is on view in the McNutt Sculpture Garden. On loan from the Jack and Valerie Guenther Foundation, “Hunters Vision” is the third piece from Allan Houser (1914-1994) displayed in the garden. A member of the Chiricahua Apache tribe, hunter-gatherers who roamed from New Mexico to northern Mexico, Houser’s “Dance of the Eagle” and “Buffalo Dance Relief” greet visitors to the Briscoe’s McNutt Sculpture Garden.

• Summer Film Series Features Cool, Classic Cowboys on the Silver Screen
Escape the heat with an afternoon at the movies. The Briscoe’s popular Summer Film Series features an iconic Western film. Briscoe guest curator Dr. Andrew Patrick Nelson will introduce the movie and explain how it relates to Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western, the Briscoe’s fantastic summer exhibition. The movies are free with museum admission. Popcorn, candy, and food truck grub are available to enjoy in the museum’s draft house-style theater, along with free beer courtesy of Ranger Creek Brewing.

o “The Long Riders”
Sunday, August 22, 1p.m.

Grab your brother and watch real-life brothers portray the Jesse James gang in a sympathetic portrayal of the brothers who begin their legendary bank raids because of revenge. Brothers James and Stacy Keach star as Jesse and Frank James; David, Keith and Robert Carradine play Cole, Jim, and Bob Younger; Dennis and Randy Quaid play Ed and Clell Miller, and Christopher and Nicholas Guest play Charlie and Bob Ford.

o “The Shootist”
Sunday, September 5, 1p.m.

Close out the summer with John Wayne in his final film role in 1976’s “The Shootist.” Wayne portrays a dying gunfighter who spends his last days looking for a way to die with minimum pain and maximum dignity. Still in the Saddle closes on Labor Day and this last film of the summer series is a fantastic way for a fantastic exhibition to ride off into the sunset.

Locals Day: August 15, 10a.m. – 5p.m.
The Briscoe welcomes its neighbors to head West by hosting a Local’s Day the third Sunday of each month. All residents of San Antonio and Bexar County receive 50 percent off general admission on August 15. As always, children twelve and under receive free admission, as do active-duty members of the military, making the Briscoe a terrific spot for families to enjoy.

Preserving and presenting the art, history, and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs, and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is located on the San Antonio River Walk at 210 W. Market Street in the beautifully restored 1930s former San Antonio Public Library building. Named in honor of the late Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife, Janey Slaughter Briscoe, the museum includes the three-story Jack Guenther Pavilion, used for event rentals and programs, and the outdoor McNutt Sculpture Garden.