Stephen Henry: On the Range
Dates: June 17 – August 28, 2025
Location: The Arts Center West Gallery
Influenced by a southern upbringing and painting en plein aire, Stephen creates soulful landscapes featuring country subjects.
About the Artist
STEPHEN HENRY is a native Texan, born in Lewisville in 1967. His family would later relocate to the small town of Stoneburg, Texas, which is located on the edge of the Texas Prairie and the border of what is known as “The Comancheria”. The lore of the region, the stories and the working cowboys instilled a spirit of the West in Stephen, along with the fact that his father is an inductee of the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame.
His father, MH Henry, is also known as a master sign painter and a Western artist, which influenced Stephen’s love of Art. The small town of Bowie, Texas, had no Art classes in high school. This would lead to a major career-path decision later in his life.
Artist Statement
Stephen is a 4 year veteran of the US Army. Upon completion of his service, he began his studies in Art at Midwestern State University. During this time he discovered a love for teaching, and he was determined to take Art to small towns. This began his teaching career 27 years ago. Since then, he has taught in five different schools in Texas and Utah. This did not, however, deter his desire to create independently and push his art to new levels.
His life in Utah introduced him to some of the best landscape painters in the nation. Plein air painting changed Henry’s approach to his craft, as he learned that “all of the answers can be found outside”, a quote from Utah landscape painter Stephen Hedgepeth. Since then, Stephen has devoted his summers specifically to painting en plein aire. He has also developed and continues to teach adult workshops locally and in the Mountain West! If Henry is home in Texas, he is involved in organizations such as “Studio Texas”, which promotes the Arts in our area, and “Arts for Rural Texas”, which brings art to smaller, underfunded schools that cannot offer art classes.
Stephen wishes you all a blessed day, and he is grateful to be included in this gallery space. As he would say, “See ya down the paintin’ trail!”