CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — West Texas A&M University announced that legendary artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s time at WT will be highlighted in the season premiere of “Around Texas with Chancellor John Sharp” set to air on Panhandle PBS at 11 p.m. on Oct. 8.

“She lived or resided in Texas, was on the ground here, for maybe 37 months out of her 98 years—she was incredibly nomadic—but we have a huge and beautiful and very foundational body of work from 1916 to 1918 when she was … here in Canyon and when she was teaching at this very institution,” Dr. Amy Von Lintel, WT’s professor of art history and director of gender studies, said in the episode. 

Officials noted that Von Lintel is an expert on O’Keeffe’s life and career and she published “Georgia O’Keeffe’s Wartime Texas Letters” in 2020 and “Georgia O’Keeffe: Watercolors, 1916-1918” in 2016.

Officials added that Dr. Brian Ingrassia, WT associate professor of history, Deana Craighead, curator of art at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, and Alex Gregory, curator of art at the Amarillo Museum of Art were interviewed for the segment.

“The work that she does here, she kept in her private collection for her life because, I think, it was so foundational for the way she thought about art—not only for her Western aesthetic but also for her balance of nature, inspiration and abstraction,” Von Lintel said. “She starts that here.” 

The O’Keeffe episode is titled “On the Edge of the Plains,” which according to WT, is named after an exhibition of O’Keeffe’s work along with other artists’ interpretations of Palo Duro Canyon, that is currently on view at PPHM through January. The title is more specifically a quote from a letter written by O’Keeffe.

The PPHM exhibit centers on O’Keefe’s “Red Landscape,” one of only four oil paintings she made while living in the area. In addition, AMoA’s permanent collection includes four O’Keeffe watercolors, inspired by her time in Canyon and on the WT campus, according to officials.

“Around Texas with John Sharp” episodes run about 30 minutes and include two segments and two in-studio interviews conducted by Chancellor Sharp, said WT. 

On Oct. 29, officials added that the fourth episode of the season on Panhandle PBS will spotlight the success of WT’s meat judging team.

Full episodes will be available to stream here.