Trails End Landmark

About Trails End Landmark

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Our Vision
The Trail's End Committee's vision is to make Sedalia a prime tourist destination. Sedalia will be known worldwide by its iconic symbol the Trail's End sculpture. This sculpture, celebrates Sedalia's historic and colorful past and invites the visitor to share in that past.

Mission Statement
The Trail's End Committee's mission is to construct a monument, in a prominent location, welcoming visitors to Sedalia. This monument to the cattle drive and to towns at the "end of the trail" will feature a one and one-quarter life-size bronze sculpture entitled Trail's End. This beautiful sculpture depicts a cowboy herding longhorn cattle along the Sedalia branch of the Shawnee Trail. It will commemorate the spirit of the cowboy and the can-do attitude associated with our western heritage.

The monument, which the Trail's End sculpture is a key part, also celebrates Sedalia's role as one of the earliest rail-heads at the end-of-the drive. It features full size replicas of a 1870's cattle car, water tower, windmill and locomotive set in a landscape of native prairie grasses and flowers. These elements highlight the role of the railroad in the founding of Sedalia, in the commercial development of the prairies and in the drive to connect our nation as one. It was the building of transcontinental railroads that linked the United States from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans - from sea to shinning sea. This project is a memorial to the enduring, indomitable, freed-loving character of the cowboy and of the railroad men who forged the pathways across the plains.

Following the Civil War, large Texas cattle drives herded longhorns north, up the eastern edge of the Indian Territories to reach the Pacific railheads in Missouri for shipment east to the packinghouses. Maverick cattle worth only two dollars in local Texas markets could be sold for twenty, even forty dollars a head up north at the railheads. Enterprising Texans decided it was worth the risk to round 'em up and head 'em out across 700 to 1,000 miles of wild, often lawless country to the railheads up north. These cattle drives were the confirmation of American exceptionalism and entrepreneurship.

The intention of the first Trail’s End Western Art Show is to exhibit art which draws inspiration from the

American West, which can include both historic and contemporary themes and imagery.

In the 19th century Sedalia, Missouri was known as the Trail’s End or last stop for the cowboys and wranglers

who worked the great western cattle drives which brought the beef to the railhead and thence to market in the

east. Without the railroad there would have been no Sedalia, but the area is also rich in pioneer and Native

American history. Missouri was the starting point for the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804, the Emigrant

Trail, and the Westward movement beginning in the 1850s.

Today, Sedalia has a Trail’s End Monument at the junction of south Highway 65 and 16th Street which

celebrates this history. This art exhibit will be a contemporary reflection of Sedalia’s history, the indomitable

spirit of the cowboy, the legend of the cattle drives, and the beauty of the landscape.

ELIGIBILITY The Trail’s End Western Art Show is open to any artist 21 years of age or older. All artwork

must be the original work of the submitting artist and created during the last three years. Commercial

duplications of prints or drawings will not be accepted.

SPECIFICATIONS Any two-dimensional or three-dimensional media is eligible. All work must be ready to

hang with an appropriate device. Maximum size is 60” in length, width and height. Three-dimensional work

must be able to pass through a standard doorway. There is a 150 pound maximum for all works. No artwork

may be suspended from the ceiling.

AWARDS $2000 in cash awards will be presented. $1000 for the Best of Show award and two $500 Merit

awards.

JUROR Eric Fuson will serve as the juror for this exhibit. Mr. Fuson is the current Executive Director of the

Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art in St. Joseph, Missouri. He taught at Missouri Western State University for

over thirty years in the Art Department of foundations and then as the director of sculpture. During this time, he

was also the artistic director of the Walter Cronkite Memorial, guiding the overall design and creation of

exhibits in the museum. His personal artwork incorporates painting, drawing and sculpture and is in collections

across the country. Currently he is also creating a memorial in honor of local firefighters.

LOCATION/SPONSOR The Liberty Center Association for the Arts will host the first Trail’s End Western

Art Show in three galleries at the Hayden Liberty Center, 111 West 5th, downtown Sedalia, Missouri. More

information about the Liberty Center Association for the Arts (LCAA), a non-profit arts organization housed

within the historic Hayden Liberty Center, can be found on our Facebook page or on our website at

www.libertycentersedalia.com.

REQUIRED FOR ENTRY

ENTRY FEE A fee of $30 will allow the entry of one or two works. This fee can be paid online here

https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?class=lcafa. Choose term “Fall ’21” and then Click Here to Register

Trail’s End Western Art Show. Entry fees can also be paid with credit card by calling the Liberty Center

Association for the Arts at 660-827-3228, Tuesday-Saturday 1-5 pm, or by delivery of check or cash to the

Liberty Center box office. Entry fees are non-refundable. Checks should be made to LCAA (Liberty Center

Association for the Arts).

A) JPEG/DIGITAL IMAGE (UP TO TWO WORKS OF ART MAY BE SUBMITTED PER ENTRY

FEE)

· Images submitted as JPEG file format only. NO .png or .tiff files, please.

· High resolution JPEG files preferred with file size minimum of 1MB and not to exceed 3MB

· Please make sure that your digital image is: sharp and in focus; cropped to feature only your artwork,

free of any time-date stamp.

· Please re-name your JPEG image files with your last name and one word from the artwork title --

Example: Jones.Apples.jpg.

· Include JPEG images as attachment to one email. Please do not embed jpeg files in a document. Do

not send folders or other materials. Do not send multiple emails.

B) ARTWORK INFO FOR EACH WORK SUBMITTED

· Artwork title

· Year completed - only works created 2018, 2019, 2020 or 2021 are eligible for consideration

· Media & surface - (Example: oil on canvas; graphite on paper; digital photograph on paper)

· Artwork dimensions - height X width

· Sale price or if not for sale, list as NFS; Artwork must either have a sale price or be listed as NFS (Not

For Sale). We will not list artworks as POR (Price on Request).

· Optional: Artist’s statement about your specific artwork entries. Limit 70 words in First Person

point-of-view. Include statement in the body of your email—no attachments. Please be clear as to

which artwork your statement is referring.

C) ARTIST INFO

· Artist name (If you use an alias or 'artist' name, please specify the correct name for us to use for

exhibition purposes)

· Mailing address, city, state, zip code and phone number

· Email address and Website and/or social media links for Instagram, Facebook or Twitter if desired.

Include all required information in the body of one email. Images, artist & artwork info emailed

to diane@libertycentersedalia.com by July 31, 2021.

JURYING PROCESS and FINAL SELECTION

· This exhibit will be juried from JPEG images submitted by email.

· Submittal of artwork does not guarantee selection for this juried exhibition.

· A juried exhibit is a competitive process.

· Artworks selected for this exhibit are at the Juror’s discretion. The juror reserves the right to remove an

unacceptable entry during the final judging.

· Accepted works which differ significantly from the submitted photograph will be disqualified.

DELIVERY Accepted entries may be hand delivered or shipped to the Hayden Liberty Center/Liberty Center

Association for the Arts, 111 W. 5th St., Sedalia, MO 65301). Please allow ample time for entries to reach us.

Artists will be responsible for all shipping or delivery cost. Hand delivered works will be accepted between the

hours of 10 am -5pm August 31, September 1, 2, or 7. All must arrive by September 7, 2021.

OPENING RECEPTION The artist’s reception will be held in the galleries at the Hayden Liberty Center, 111

West 5th, Sedalia, Missouri on September 17, 2021 from 6 pm – 9 pm.

SALES Artists are encouraged to list their works for sale. The LCAA will retain a 30% commission of the

selling price on all sales during the exhibition. Payments for all works sold will be made to the artist on or

before November 5, 2021,

LIABILITY Utmost care in handling will be given to all entries. However, the Liberty Center Association for

the Arts (LCAA) will assume no responsibility for the loss or damage to any work entered. All individuals

working with this exhibition shall be held blameless for any and all liabilities arising from this exhibition. The

LCAA shall assume the right to reproduce any entry for publicity purposes related to this exhibition for future

exhibitions. The return of the entry form constitutes the artist's agreement with conditions set forth in this

agreement.

IMPORTANT DATES

July 31, 2021: Deadline to receive artwork entries. Images (along with artwork and artist information) need to

be sent by email to diane@libertycentersedalia.com. Entry fee needs to be paid at the following link https://

app.arts-people.com/index.php?class=lcafa or through the Hayden Liberty Center box office Tuesday-

Saturday 1-5 pm.

August 10, 2021: Notification of juror selections sent via email by this date.

September 7, 2021 by 5 pm: Shipped or delivered artwork must be received at the Hayden Liberty Center, 111

West 5th, Sedalia, MO 65301.

September 17, 2021, 6- 9 pm: Opening reception for exhibition

October 30, 2021: Exhibition closes; return of shipped work within 10 business days

November 1-3, 1 pm-5 pm: Pick up of hand-delivered work

Leave your tracks on the Trail

Many cowhands, trusty steeds, and cattle left their tracks on the “Sedalia Trail”. Those tracks have since been blown away by the wind, and washed away by the rain. You have an opportunity to leave your track on the “Trails End” landmark, permanently. Bricks will be embedded around the walk of the “Trails End” landmark.

NEW! TWO SIZES OF BRICKS!
Brick size 4”x 8”. Bricks may be etched with 2 lines.
Each line will contain 17 characters including spaces.
Bricks are $50.00 each.

Brick size 8”x 8”. Bricks may be etched with 4 lines.
Each line will contain 17 characters including spaces.
Bricks are $100.00 each

BUY NOW!

Trails End Prayer Statue

It has inspired photographers, poets, painters, sculptors and artists of many genres. In particular it was the inspiration for one of Missouri’s greatest artists and sculptors, Clay Gant of Cross Timbers whose work can be found around the world. His vision of the “Rawhide” tale is set as a tired but grateful “drover” resting on a hill overlooking Sedalia after driving the herd to where the trail met the rail. Like many wranglers, he is a former Confederate cavalryman whose prospects after the Civil War were limited and the cattle drive was one of the few options for employment for a war survivor and his horse. Having endured the one thousand miles of trail dust, flooded rivers, bushwackers, stampedes, lightning and survived the cholera and anthrax outbreaks he has dismounted on the hill overlooking the Queen City of the Prairie. He has his bible which he carried into battle throughout the war and is resting on a rock in his solitude being thankful for his safe arrival as his steady horse who rests ground tied close at hand. He gives a grateful prayer.

"God, I humbly give thanks for this successful cattle drive and for my steady partner who hung with me day and night over the months and miles of rough trails. I am grateful for you seeing us through and for my trusted companion as we have had each other’s back more times than I care to remember. I’ve come to admire and respect this two legged creature of yours and ask you to watch over us as we ride the west together. Amen"

Trails End was envisioned as a historical, educational, artistic and inspirational project commemorating the American Cowboy, the great railroad expansion, the pioneers and homesteaders of the 19th century.

About the Artist

Clay Gant has ridden and trained and shown and broken horses. He has been bucked off horses-which is why he knows them from “the ground up” and why he has a horsemans AND an artists conception of what a horse is supposed to look like and why his equine sculptures are coveted around the world.