Tobey exhibition to open at Vernon Filley Art Museum in Pratt Kansas - January 16, 2027

Shared Horizons exhibition to open at the Vernon FIlley Art Museum in Pratt Kansas — January 16, 2027

On January 16, 2027, the Vernon Filley Art Museum will open one of the most anticipated exhibitions in its history, bringing together two renowned female artists. This landmark showcase features the work of  acclaimed painter Jami Tobey, a Santa Fe native now based in Murrieta, California, and long-time Santa Fe ceramic and bronze sculptor Rebecca Tobey.

Bringing together monumental ceramic and bronze sculpture, with luminous Southwestern landscape paintings, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience the artistic dialogue between two women artists whose work has captivated collectors throughout the American West for decades.

Shared Horizons: Acclaimed painter Jami Tobey and Rebecca Tobey, sculptor.

A Santa Fe artistic dynasty comes to the Great Plains! This exhibition ties directly to Mimi Filley's own collecting history," says Collections Manager Sara Keith. "It creates a meaningful bridge between the museum's origins, our Permanent Collection, and these Tobey women's work."

Shared Horizons unites a remarkable lineage, introducing audiences to the dialogue between Jami Tobey's vibrant contemporary landscape paintings and Rebecca Tobey's celebrated sculptural practice.

Set against the backdrop of the Filley Art Museum—itself born from a collector's passion for Southwestern art—the showcase offers a rare opportunity to explore how vision, craftsmanship, and a deep connection to the American West are passed from one generation to the next. It tells a powerful story of family, legacy, and artistic influence.

For more than four decades, Rebecca Tobey has earned recognition for her distinctive sculptural language that draws upon mythology, archaeology, Indigenous symbolism, and the natural world. Her expressive ceramic figures and bronze sculptures are found in prominent private and public collections across the United States. In Shared Horizons visitors will encounter a selection of Rebecca’s celebrated sculptural works, including large-scale ceramic figures and potentially life-sized bronze pieces that transform the gallery into an immersive environment of story and symbolism.

Alongside these sculptures, Jami Tobey presents vibrant contemporary landscapes inspired by the dramatic skies, mesas, deserts, and changing light of the Southwest. Her paintings reinterpret the Western landscape through rhythmic forms, swirling cloud formations, and a palette that captures both the grandeur and emotional resonance of place. Together, the works reveal a shared artistic sensibility while maintaining two distinctly individual voices.

"This exhibition is about a powerful creative dialogue between two distinct artists," says Brittany Novotny, Executive Director of the Vernon Filley Art Museum. "It explores the ways two women, rooted in the same Southwestern environment, shape their own independent visions while their works complement and elevate one another. We invite visitors to consider how contrasting mediums can come together to tell a singular, beautiful story."

The exhibition continues the Vernon Filley Art Museum's growing reputation for presenting nationally recognized artists in an intimate setting where visitors can engage deeply with the work. Founded through the generosity of Emily "Mimi" and Dr. Vernon W. Filley, the museum houses a permanent collection of 192 works by 131 artists and has become a cultural destination in the Great Plains, connecting regional audiences with significant voices in American art.

The Filley Collection itself reflects a lifelong commitment to collecting exceptional art, particularly works connected to the American West and Southwest. Inspired by years spent in Santa Fe, Mimi Filley assembled a collection that bridges regional traditions with nationally recognized artists, creating a foundation that continues to guide the museum's curatorial vision. The presentation of Jami Tobey and Rebecca Tobey extends that legacy by introducing collectors and visitors to artists whose work speaks to the enduring power of landscape, memory, heritage, and place.

Collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts are invited to experience this extraordinary exhibition beginning January 16, 2027, at the Vernon Filley Art Museum in Pratt, Kansas.

Exhibition Details

Shared Horizons: Jami Tobey and Rebecca Tobey 
January 16 – April 24, 2027
Opening Reception: January 16, 2027 at 5pm

Stay Tuned for Announcements about Workshop Opportunities with the Artists the week prior to the exhibition.
Vernon Filley Art Museum - 421 S Jackson, St
Pratt, Kansas, 67124

For additional information, images, or interview requests with the artists, contact:

Brittany Novotny, Executive Director at bnovotny@vernonfilleyartmuseum.org
Vernon Filley Art Museum 620-933-2787
Sara Keith, Collection Manager filleycollections@gmail.com