WC to debut Michael Martin Murphey Western Institute collection with reception

Mar. 7—Weatherford College will host "Frontier Tales and Canvas Trails," a public reception, in the Speaker Jim Wright Library on Tuesday, March 19, from 4 to 6 p.m., featuring a special presentation by library director Valorie Starr, Michael Martin Murphey and Richard Sukup.

This event marks the debut of the Murphey Western Institute collection about the American West. Murphey, a singer-songwriter known for his hits "Wildfire," "Carolina in the Pines" and "What's Forever For," is also a dedicated collector of Western artifacts.

Murphey began donating items to WC in June 2022, with the delivery of more than 1,350 paperbacks from authors including Max Brand, Louis L'Amour, Larry McMurtry and many others who write about the mythical view of the American West.

The collection also includes music and other artifacts that reflect the diverse voices of the American West.

The reception will also feature a special showing of award-winning Western art by Richard Sukup. Sukup's art has been appreciated by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and "Tex" Moncrief, and his work is displayed in the Hotel Drover in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

The event will include light refreshments, live music by WC's Fredrick Sanders and the opportunity to view the Murphey Western Institute collection and Sukup's art.