Jim Woodson

Jim Woodson, a distinguished Texas painter and educator, has spent more than five decades crafting a unique visual language rooted in the arid, rugged terrains of the American Southwest.

Best known for his profound interpretations of West Texas and northern New Mexico desert landscapes, Woodson’s paintings move beyond traditional representation. His works act as meditative spaces where perception, memory, and time converge, making him not just a painter of places but a painter of inner experience.

In 2013, Woodson was named the Texas State Visual Artist for two-dimensional work, a prestigious designation awarded by the Texas Commission on the Arts recognizing his significant contributions to the state’s cultural landscape. This high distinction led to Woodson’s being tapped in 2014 to serve as a private painting instructor to former President George W. Bush.

Woodson’s paintings are held in major collections, including the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas; San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, Texas; El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso, Texas; The Grace Museum, Abilene, Texas; Amarillo Art Center, Amarillo, Texas; Midwestern University, Wichita Falls, Texas, The Old Jail Art Center, Albany, Texas; The San Angelo Museum of Art, San Angelo, Texas; The University of Dallas, Irving, Texas; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, among many others.

He has participated in over 30 solo exhibitions and more than 50 group shows at national and international institutions, including: Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas; George W. Bush Presidential Center, Dallas, Texas; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas; City Hall, Fort Worth, Texas; Old Jail Art Center, Albany, Texas; The Grace Museum, Abilene, Texas; Witte Museum, San Antonio, Texas, among many others.