MIDLAND, Texas — The campus of the Museum of the Southwest is spotted with sculptures.
Since the museum’s start back in the 1960s, they’ve added a longhorn, dogs, a bird and even an adorably chubby bear, among other statues.
Now, there is a sculpture that signifies the dusty region Midland calls home.
"The Museum of the Southwest wanted me to make a sculpture," said Midland artist Katherine "KT" Taylor. "[A sculpture] that was didactic, so teaching, and not only teaching about the creatures that live here, specifically in West Texas, but also how they live, where they live, and the fact that they live underground. And as we all know, living out in West Texas, what's important is what's underground."
That’s when the “Prairie Dogs” statue was born.
After more than a year of work, the sculpture is far more than just the adorable ground squirrels.
There are also more subtle elements including the dirt, rollie pollies, horned toads and more.
"Part of the teaching is bringing the sculpture up so that you can experience what's underground," Taylor said. "And something that we probably wouldn't normally see, and we wouldn't have a chance to learn about or more importantly, inspect. [...] and also of course because it's the ground, there's tons of bugs, like anytime you look on the ground, you are going to see all these bugs."
Taylor used methods such as texture swapping, which is exchanging one natural texture for another. For example, her pecan beetles were crafted using, well, pecans.
She intentionally sculpted this scene with all the West Texas children in mind.
"And he [the MSW curator] also wanted me to have the aspect of mirth, which is the silliness, the happiness, the playfulness," Taylor said. "And that so we can have our relatability and certainly because it's right here next to the Children's Museum, we want to make sure that the kids can really enjoy and appreciate the sculpture while having a learning experience. But I wanted them to have that excitement, that zeal, you know how kids and they get and they get all like he, he and excited and running around. I wanted to convey that and get that."
Because she was once one of those wide-eyed West Texas children, graduating from Trinity Episcopal School in Midland.
"I literally got my start as an artist right here in the Museum of the Southwest," Taylor said. "So I was really lucky enough, privileged enough to be able to take classes here as a little kid. [...] But at the time I didn't know that it would ultimately lead me to what I'm doing. But it certainly was the beginning of my creative adventures."
Those creative adventures only blossomed from that museum on West Missouri Ave.
"This is a real full circle moment for me," Taylor said. "To be able to have thought that I started here and then can really end here and in lots of ways have something that's going to be here permanently, to continue to give back to the creativity that started me. And now I can look to the future generations to do the same, it's a very moving and profound moment for me at this moment at this point."
And when the time came to present her sculpture at the museum, there was a special guest in attendance.
"But my very first art teacher technically was Mr. Hickman," Taylor said. "I can tell you the very first sculpture that I made, it was just… awful. Like awful. And Mr. Hickman was so kind and so gracious. And you know now as an adult looking back on it, I can understand. Of course, I didn't know anything. I was young. I was just getting started. Of course, it's going to be terrible. And he was so kind to be so gracious and say, Okay, well, did you think about this I think that really helped me. To not be afraid to be more bold, and to be more, it's like you have that little nest. And from that nest you can go and do anything."
Taylor's art journey is far from over. She's currently working on Falcon #2 for UT Permian Basin.
