Book Festival Author

Andrew Sansom

Andrew Sansom is one the leading conservationists in Texas. The former executive director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, he has also served as the executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Nature Conservancy. He is the co-author of several books, including Of Texas Rivers and Texas Art and The Art of Texas State Parks: A Centennial Celebration, 1923 – 2023.

More About Andrew Sansom

Adult Authorart and photographynonfiction

Book by Andrew Sansom

The Art of Texas State Parks: A Centennial Celebration, 1923–2023

In 2023, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department marks the 100th anniversary of the state park system. From its inception in 1923, the Texas park system has grown to 95 sites, covering more than 627,000 acres and comprising 74 state parks, 13 historic sites, and 8 natural areas. This vast collection of natural lands and public places now accommodates almost 9 million visitors each year.

The Art of Texas State Parks celebrates this rich tradition, offering an engaging visual arts survey of Texas state parks as seen through the eyes of leading artists from across the state. Editors Andrew Sansom and Linda J. Reaves have collected original works from thirty of the state’s most influential artists. These stunning visual works are accompanied by a thoughtful essay by William E. Reaves on the time-honored legacy of landscape painting in Texas and by Sansom’s reflections on the vital place of landscape art in Texas conservation. Rounding out the collection, assistant state park director Kevin Good offers an informative profile of Texas state parks, and the work concludes with profiles of the artists whose pieces appear in this special centennial collection.