Honoring the Spirit of the West
The Red Steagall Institute will be a singular destination—a place where the rich traditions of the American West are honored, studied, and shared. Traditions built during a challenging yet simpler time, when a person’s word was their bond and when the land you owned was not just a possession, but a legacy to nurture and pass on. This trailblazing center will serve as a beacon of inspiration, education, and preservation, ensuring that the timeless values and skills of the West continue to shape our national identity.
As a world-class facility and destination, it will draw tourists seeking an immersive experience in the rich traditions of ranching culture, as well as aspiring artists looking to hone their crafts under the guidance of expert practitioners. Imagine future generations walking these halls, learning the skills and values of the West, and carrying our legacy forward with pride. This is more than just a building—it is a living testament to the enduring importance of our Western heritage, and a promise to keep that spirit alive for generations.
*Renderings are conceptual
Gail and I treasure our Western lifestyle with dedication to our heritage, traditions, and set of values that promote and preserve a harmonious society. The way to protect our lifestyle is through our traditional Western arts. The art that we create today must be authentic so that 50 years from now future generations will have a reference to how we live, who we are, and, hopefully, will revere the set of values that we diligently work to honor.
The Red Steagall Institute for Traditional Western Arts at the National Ranching Heritage Center will honor excellence in Western writing and music, leather working, metal working, painting, photography and sculpture. Our goal is to move the art forms forward into the future with the most professional, artistic, authentic, and educational platform.
The Red Steagall Institute is not a museum nor is it a hall of fame. It is a learning institute dedicated to preserving these art forms for future generations. Seminars held at the institute will serve as a platform from which aspiring young artists can present their wors and search for a leg up on the ladder of success. These aspiring artists will be selected from applicants all over the country. It will also serve as a home laboratory for the students in the art department at Texas Tech University. So many times, talent is not recognized nor developed because the artist does not have an arena in which to perfect their talents. Over time, we will develop an in-depth research library for students and writers who help us preserve our Western lifestyle.
The National Ranching Heritage Center is very important to me and Gail. Located on the campus of Texas Tech University, the National Ranching Heritage Center is a museum and historical park dedicated to the preservation of the history of ranching. There are 55 historic structures that were relocated, restored, and furnished for period correctness, and they show the evolution of ranch life from the late 1700s through the mid-1900s. It was built by dedicated people in the ranching industry.
That's where I want to leave my collection of Western artifacts, including my song and poetry manuscripts and copies of the radio and television shows I have produced. As a result, the Red Steagall Institute for Traditional Western Arts has been established to house this collection.
But it's not going to be just my things. It will be a repository for other artists and writers as well. Most importantly, it will be a place to pass on our knowledge of the heritage, traditions and values that we live by.
With your help, we can pass along those values to future generations.
We thank you,
~ Red & Gail Steagall
Creating the Red Steagall Institute for Traditional Western Arts
