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THE KEYSTONE SOUTHWESTERN WRITERS COLLECTION | WITTLIFF GALLERY OF SOUTHWESTERN & MEXICAN PHOTOGRAPHY SPRING 2006 | SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AT THE ALKEK LIBRARY | WWW. LIBRARY. TXSTATE. EDU/ SPEC- COLL UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS from the CURATOR (right) Black Bear, ¡Saludos! collections of efforts by thousands of people who have An Evening to Celebrate the Images, Literature & Legends of the Southwest & Mexico (this page) Mujer ángel / 1996, Keith Carter Just today I wrote a thank- given of themselves in uncounted ways. People who share Angel Woman by Graciela Iturbide, and (below) Water Presenting Sponsor Principal Promotional Sponsor you letter to members of a love for what Ann Richards called querencia, a place of Sueños de la Cowgirl / Witching, 1996, Cowgirl Dreams, by Keith Carter our newly configured deep meaning and strong fealty, a home; and, further, who Advisory Committee and share a belief that because of these collections people in Bob “Daddy-O” Wade (a full-color photograph was once more struck by the Southwest will lead fuller and richer lives, to on canvas), are two of MARIANA the fact that there are paraphrase J. Frank Dobie, because they will become the many famous-artist YAMPOLSKY & the wonderful people of good aware of what it holds. items up for bid in the THE WITTLIFF gala’s silent auction GALLERY will—both at Texas State I think that collection and archives work is one of the Mariana Yampolsky and outside the university most optimistic things anyone can do—the idea that we was not only one of community—who spend might be able save at least a part of our cultural history Spirit of the greatest their time and efforts on and that there will be a future and people in it who will photographers in our behalf. This is true as well of the committee formed to want to know what’s gone before presupposes a lot. Mexico, she was the help us organize our upcoming anniversary celebration and I also think that the process of making an effort is fairy godmother of the SPIRIT OF fundraiser in May. It’s a great feeling to have the advice and often where the best of life occurs, and I must say that the ON MAY 27, 2006 we will celebrate the Place PLACE GALA Wittliff Gallery’s con- process of shepherding these collections has revealed to COMMITTEE temporary Mexican support of such fine people, and I—and all of us here at 20th anniversary of the Southwestern photography collection. Special Collections—are much obliged. me the noble inclinations of many people. Writers Collection and the 10th Honorary When Connie Todd met As we observe the 20th and 10th anniversaries of the I hope that those who follow and who see the things anniversary of the Wittliff Gallery of Co-Chairs her in Mexico City in Southwestern Writers Collection and Wittliff Gallery, we’ve saved can know us and learn from us, and I further Southwestern & Mexican Photography John Graves 1994 and told her of respectively, we can look back and recognize many who hope they take note of not only the great artists with a salute to the cultural legacy of the Ann Richards Bill Wittliff’s idea for a have helped us along the way—with in-kind gifts, cash represented here but also of those fine friends of the literature, film, music and photography Event Co-Chairs southwestern & Mexi- donations, time, advice, and understanding. collections who work to ensure that their legacy abides. preserved by these two archives. The Mary Margaret can photography center We house collections of papers and objects—but also —Connie Todd evening also honors the vision and Farabee at Texas State, she im- creativity of Bill and Sally Wittliff, who Janis Pinnelli mediately understood founded the collections at Texas State Event how important it would University-San Marcos. Committee be. In later talks Rebecca Cohen with Wittliff and The event at the Four Seasons Hotel Todd, she put from the FOUNDER in Austin—emceed by Evan Smith and Eleanor Crook them in touch titled, The Spirit of Place: An Evening To Elizabeth Crook with virtually YEARS AGO when I was “The Wild Woman of the Navidad,” which was the story Celebrate the Images, Literature, and Legends of the planning an extraordinary fine-art silent auction including Donna Hill every outstanding a child my mother ran the that I had first heard as an oral tradition, a folktale. Well, Southwest & Mexico—includes a gourmet dinner and works by Bill Wittliff, Bob “Daddy-O” Wade, Kate Breakey, Tommy Lee Jones photographer in telephone office in Edna, it just set me afire—I had never realized that books, southwestern entertainment. Robb Kendrick, Graciela Iturbide, Keith Carter, Julie Retta Kelley the country. Texas. There was a man in writing, a literature could spring from the very piece of To join us at the fiesta, we have invited Sam Shepard, Speed, Rocky Schenck, and Russell Lee. Tom Kowalski Further, she that town named Tips ground that I had lived on and was still living on. Larry McMurtry, Willie Nelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Bud We hope everyone who is passionate about the cultural Ecky Malick talked to the Westoff who ran the hard- I guess whatever participation Sally and I had in the Shrake, and Jerry Jeff Walker, among others, and are arts and our rich heritage will agree that these Collections Dan Matheson photographers ware store, and he used to creation of this collection comes from that moment, deserve generous support. Funds raised from the Barbara Morgan themselves, and give me old boards and so that it was kind of Dobie’s influence passing event will be used for future acquisitions and to Elizabeth Nash in so doing Jan Pickle authenticated this nails and so on and he through us to this. grow the endowment. unknown gallery to the told me stories. One of the stories he told me was of an I got the itch then, I certainly didn’t have the We would like to thank all the fabulous Peggy Pickle Mexican artistic com- escaped slave woman who lived in the river bottom, the courage to try to write—it wasn’t until I was thirty, I volunteers working on the event steering Jean Rather munity. Thus began the Navidad River bottoms, and the men around there for guess, that I got a single good sentence—but the committee (see sidebar, right)—especially Mary Amalia Rodriguez- Gallery’s collection of years tried to catch her and never could. But they did find spark came from there. My hope for this thing and Margaret Farabee and Janis Pinnelli who are Mendoza contemporary Mexican her tracks, and for a time they found the tracks of a small Sally’s hope for this thing is that, with everybody leading the way for us as co-chairs. John Graves Eddie Safady photography now child with her tracks… but after a while the small tracks else’s help, that spark keeps passing on down, that and Ann Richards, who spoke at the dedication of Gabrielle de Kuyper considered the largest vanished. I guess I must have been six or seven and I was this collection becomes a place of inspiration as well the current Southwestern Writers Collection Sheshunoff and best in the world so hugely and deeply moved by that story of the slave as a place of preservation. facility in 1991, are serving as honorary co-chairs. Evan Smith outside of Mexico itself. woman and her lost child that it became then, and still is, And I want to thank everybody here at the Tables are selling fast. Visit online at Jare Smith a part of me. university and all of you who have given of your time, www.library.txstate.edu/spec.coll for updates, or Cathy Supple Paul Supple ON THE COVER Six or seven years after that, when I was thirteen or your artifacts, your manuscripts, your books and given contact Beverly Fondren at [email protected] Danza de los paragüeros so, an aunt who worked in the book department at of your hearts. Thank you most kindly. —Bill Wittliff or 512.245.9058 for sponsorship opportunities Bonnie Tilton / Dance of the Umbrella Joske’s, in Houston, sent me a copy of J. Frank Dobie’s and ticket information. We’re planning a Reid & Susan Wittliff Vendors, 1991, (at the Southwestern Writers Collection # Caryl Yontz Mariana Yampolsky 2 Tales of Old Time Texas, and in that book was a story called Dedication, October 5, 1991) memorable evening and hope to see you there. 3 ...and TEN YEARS at the Wittliff Gallery LARRY L. KING on the “WE ARE ABOUT TO OPEN on the Gallery’s infancy: “It’s as if SOUTHWESTERN WRITERS formally an archive that is unique in they [Bill and Sally] almost have COLLECTION (left) Founding donors the way it captures, preserves and started a new family. And if, as I have Writers are human, yes; Bill & Sally Wittliff reflects the heart and soul of this read, it’s the nature of society to raise with former University for all their good President Jerry Supple at region,” Texas State University Presi- children…. You have an infant intentions they may the Southwestern Writers dent Jerome Supple stated ten years [and]... every time you look at it, it give themselves the Collection Dedication ago in his introductory comments at makes you remember the small better of it on the page, (below) Authors the dedication of the Wittliff Gallery rhythms of life. Pay attention to the when writing for the Shelby Hearon, Stephen of Southwestern & Mexican Photog- small rhythms of life.” public, and thus report Harrigan, and Sarah less of themselves than Bird—three donors to raphy.

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