American painter Jerry Bywaters was one of those talented individuals for whom creating art in solitude wasn’t enough. He adored painting and wanted the entire world to share his passion. Read more at dallaski.
Childhood and Early Years
Jerry Bywaters was born on May 21, 1906, in Paris, Texas. His parents, Porter Ashburn and Getty (Williamson) Bywaters, recognized his talent early on. After missing nearly a year of school—likely due to illness—young Jerry turned to drawing to pass the time at home. His journey to a professional painting career, however, did not happen overnight.
He spent his best school years at Terrill Preparatory School for Boys. There, he discovered a passion for writing by creating illustrations and notes for the school newspaper. After graduation, he enrolled at Southern Methodist University, earning degrees in English, journalism, and later in general literature. But Jerry never pursued those fields professionally. In his final year, he studied under artist Ralph Rountree, and in July 1927, he and Rountree traveled to Europe to study art.
The Start of His Professional Art Career
After returning from Europe, Jerry Bywaters went to Mexico, where he studied Mexican muralism and met Diego Rivera. From the renowned artist, he learned that art gains recognition by reflecting society’s realities. Art that resonates with people is bound to succeed.
In 1928, Bywaters joined the Old Lyme Art Colony in Connecticut. There, prominent American painters Bruce Crane and William Robinson praised his work. Buoyed by their encouragement, Jerry decided to pursue painting professionally. He wrote to his parents—who reacted with concern rather than joy—and moved to New York City. He enrolled at the Art Students League and studied under John Sloan, known for his urban scenes.
Sloan advised Bywaters to return to Texas, where countless subjects awaited an emerging artist. Taking that advice, Jerry settled in Dallas, launching his most successful creative period.
Jerry Bywaters’s Life in Dallas
In Dallas, Jerry found peers who shared his vision of the Texas landscape. He became a leader among local artists such as Alexandre Hogue, Otis M. Dozier, William Lester, and Everett Spruce. The Texas scenery inspired them all.
In 1933, Bywaters was recognized as an artist of national importance. By then, he had created numerous landscapes, still lifes, portraits, lithographs, and public murals. His style aligned with the American Scene movement.
- Sharecropper (1937)
- Big Bend (1939)
- Oil Field Girls (1940)
- On the Ranch (1941)
- Houses in West Texas, Big Bend (1942)
Several of these works now reside in the Dallas Museum of Art, Southern Methodist University, and the Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery at the University of Texas at Austin.
During the 1930s and early 1940s, Bywaters also excelled in federally sponsored mural contests. He completed six Texas commissions: a panel series at the Old Red Courthouse in Dallas with Alexandre Hogue; a series at the Paris Public Library; murals at post offices in Trinity, Quanah, and Farmersville; and three murals at Houston’s Mailing and Shipping Building.
From 1933 to 1939, he wrote hundreds of art reviews for The Dallas Morning News, highlighting Texas artists and the art world. Simultaneously, he served as director of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts for twenty years, curating landmark exhibitions like Religious Art of the Western World (1958) and The Arts of Man (1962).