Visions of Santa

Description

Come visit a one-of-a-kind exhibit containing unique images of Santa Clause painted each year since 1974. Painted by native Texas artist Billy L. Keen, there are 45 paintings in total. 

What began as an explanation about an art method has become an annual Texas Christmas tradition. In 1974 Billy L. Keen was demonstrating to a co-worker how the Old Master painters used a method called "underpainting" to achieve flesh tones.

Because the season was Christmas, Keen decided to use Santa as the subject of the demonstration, then hung the painting in the room for his one-year-old son. The following year he painted a new Santa for his second son. By the third year, it seemed like "a neat thing to do." Since then, it's become a tradition.