New exhibit features longtime Las Cruces artist

The paintings of Las Cruces artist George Gray will be on display in the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum’s Arts Corridor on Thursday, April 15.

An opening reception will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 15 for “George Gray: Son of a Cowboy.” The exhibit, which features 27 paintings, will decorate the walls in the Arts Corridor through Aug. 8. The paintings mostly include Western and Native American scenes.

A man of many talents, George Gray’s New Mexico roots run deep. His childhood was spent on a ranch in Estancia, where he learned the life of a cowboy. His father, Bernie R. Gray, was a brand inspector who was well-known to ranchers across New Mexico.

Gray attended New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts (later New Mexico State University), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in education, and a master’s in creative painting. From 1953 to 1961, he was an art teacher at Las Cruces High School, before teaching art for 25 more years in California. He returned to Las Cruces with his wife, Lucy, in 1992, and taught for several more years at Mayfield High School and NMSU before his retirement. Today, he remains immensely proud of the accomplishments of his many students.

Many area residents may have seen Gray’s work without knowing it; his design for the Great Seal of Dona Ana County was adopted in the 1950s. Locally, he is perhaps best known for his religious art. He is a member of St. James Episcopal Church in Mesilla Park, and has completed paintings for several area churches.

Admission to Thursday’s reception is free. For more information, please call (575) 522-4100.