Mary Lou Pape
A passion for nature has made wildlife and the western way of life the primary focus of my work. Growing up in Topeka, Kansas, horses were the favorite subjects of my childhood drawings. Living in Colorado for many years gave me a great appreciation for our North American wildlife. With a recent move back to my home state of Kansas, I am enjoying discovering new subjects.
Travels to National Parks, nature preserves and rodeos and ranches in America continually provide me with inspiration for my paintings of life in our remarkable country. I am drawn to intimate views of animals, people and their surroundings and particularly love to portray the way light enriches the drama of a painting.
I attended Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas as a Fine Art major and have taken numerous workshops with admired artists. My primary mediums are oil, pastel and pencil and I live and work in Topeka, KS.
Professional Affiliations
Women Artists of the West – Signature Member
American Plains Artists - Associate Member
Juried/Invitational Shows and Exhibits:
Western Art Show and Sale - Leavenworth, Kansas - June 2026
American Plains Artists 41st Annual Juried Show - Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, San Angelo, Texas - June 2026 - Plainsman Award and 2027 Exhibition Award
Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show - Old West Museum - July 2026
WAOW Online "Late Show", July 2026 - Second Place for "Silent Watch"
41st Bosque Art Classic - Clifton, Texas - September 2026
40th Annual Juried Exhibit - American Plains Artists - Pearce Museum, Corsicana, TX - October 2025 -
Second Place for "She Waits" and an Award of Excellence for "Frontier Days"
40th Bosque Art Classic, Clifton, TX - September 2025
45th Cheyenne Frontier Days Invitational Western Art Show, Cheyenne, WY - July 2025
Women Artists of the West 55th National Show - Clarksville, TN - March 2025 - Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine Award for "A Winter Morning"
SWA 2025 Small Works National Competition, Mena, AR - 2025
Women Artists of the West The Woolaroc 2024 Invitational - Woolaroc Western Art Museum - Bartlesville, OK - May, 2024
Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show - Old West Museum - Cheyenne, WY - July 2024
American Plains Artists 38th Annual Juried Exhibit - Corsicana, TX - Nov. 2023
Bold Brush Competition - July 2023 - Fav 15% - The Art of Compromise
Women Artists of the West 53nd National Exhibit - Newton, KS - July 2023
Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show - Cheyenne, WY - July 2023
Greeley Stampede Invitational Art Show - Greeley, CO - June. 2023
Bold Brush Competition - May 2023 - Fav 15% - Hidden Treasure
Women Artists of the West 52nd National Exhibit - Annapolis, Maryland - November 2022
Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show - Cheyenne, WY - July 2022
Greeley Stampede Invitational Art Show - Greeley, CO - June. 2022
Bold Brush Competition - June 2022 - Fav 15%
American Plains Artists 36th Annual Juried Show - Cheyenne, WY - Nov. 2021 - Mystery Award
Greeley Stampede Invitational Art Show - Greeley, CO - June 2021
American Plains Artists Special Summer Show - Fort Concho, San Angelo, TX - July 2021
Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show - Cheyenne, WY - July, 2021
Montana Miniatures - Great Falls, MT - March, 2021
WAOW 51st National Exhibition - Kerrville, TX - Feb., 2021 - 3rd Place 2D General Membership Award
51st Annual Mountain Oyster Club Exhibit - Tucson, AZ - Nov. 2020
Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show - Cheyenne, WY - July, 2020
Greeley Stampede Invitational Art Show - Greeley, CO, 2020 - Cancelled
American Plains Artists 35th Annual Juried Exhibit - Ft. Concho, TX - June, 2020 - Award of Excellence and Plainsman Award (People's Choice), Exhibition Award 2021
WAOWing the Wind River Member Show - Dubois, WY - June, 2020
WAOW 50th Annual National Show - Tucson, AZ - March, 2020
Awarded Signature status with Women Artists of the West - November 2019
American Plains Artists 34th Annual Exhibit - Pearce Museum, Corsicana, TX - Oct. to Jan., 2019/2020 -
Best Plains Wildlife Award and Plainsman Award (People's Choice)
34th Bosque Art Classic Show - Bosque Arts Center - Clifton, TX - Sept. 2019
Women Artists of the West 49th National Show - Boulder, CO - Sept. 2019 - President's Award
Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show - Old West Museum, Cheyenne, WY - July 2019
Greeley Stampede Invitational - Greeley, CO - June 2019
Women Artists of the West 48th National Exhibit - Bartlesville, OK - Sept. 2018
33rd Annual Bosque Art Classic - Clifton, TX - Sept. 2018
27th Annual Breckenridge Fine Art Show - Breckenridge, TX - July 2018
Festival of the Arts - Saratoga, WY - July 2018
Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show - Old West Museum - Cheyenne, WY - July 2018
45th Western/Wildlife Art Show - Ft. Robinson, NE - July, 2018 - Featured Artist
Bold Brush Competition - March 2018 - Fav 15%
Women Artists of the West 47th National Exhibit, Annapolis, Maryland - 11/5 - 12/3/2017 - Best Animal Award
American Plains Artists 32nd Annual Exhibit, Las Cruces, NM - 8/3 to 11/5/2017
44th Western/Wildlife Art Show - Ft. Robinson, NE - 7/1 - 7/4/2017
Western Spirit Show - Old West Museum, Cheyenne, WY - 3/5/17 - 4/15/17 - People's Choice Award Winner
WAOW Spring Online show - 2017 - Third Place Award
Mountain Oyster Club Art Show - Tucson, AZ - 11/20/2016 to 1/14/2017
12 x 12 Show and Sale, Coutts Museum of Art, KS - 11/1/ to 1/15/2017
Own an Original, Littleton, CO - 11/18 to 1/8/2017
Breckenridge Fine Art Show - Breckenridge, TX - 7/26/ to 9/3/2016
Commonwheel Art Gallery, Manitou Springs, CO - 7/15/ to 8/15/2016
43rd Annual Western Wildlife Art Show - Ft. Robinson, NE - 7/1/ to 7/4/2016
American Plains Artists 31st Annual Juried Exhibit - Texas - 6/30/ to 8/7/2016
Western Spirit Show - Old West Museum, Cheyenne, WY - 3/3/ to 4/17/2016
WAOW "Winter Solstice" Online Show - 1/1/ to 2/29/2016
Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame - Two Person Exhibit - 1/1/ to 3/31/2016
Bold Brush Competition - November 2015 - Fav 15
1st Annual Miniature Show - Bella Art Gallery , Monument, CO - 2015 - 2nd Place Award
Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame - Colorado Springs, CO - Two Person Exhibit - October, 2015 through March, 2016
"Rivers, Tides & Pools" - WAOW Online Show - 2015
3rd Annual Art For Horses National Juried Exhibition - Lakewood, CO - 2015 - 2nd Place Award and People's Choice Award
American Plains Artists 30th Annual Juried Exhibit - Lincoln NE - 2015
Gone To The Dogs 6, National Juried Show, Knoll Gallery, Denver, CO - 2015
Celebrating Rocky, Rocky Mountain National Park Invitational Art Show, Estes Park, CO - 2015
WAOW'D by Spring, WAOW online show - 2015
29th Annual Art Show at the Dog Show, Wichita, KS - 2015
The Western Spirit Art Show, Old West Museum, Cheyenne, WY - 2015
- WAOW goes WILD online show – 2014 Judge’s Choice Award
- Art Steamboat Fine Art Competition, Steamboat, CO - 2014 Best of Show and Grand Prize Winner
- 7th Annual "Paint The Parks" National Competition - 2014 Top 100 Winner
- WAOWed in San Diego, Women Artists of the West National Show, San Diego, CA — 2014
- The Western Spirit Art Show, Old West Museum, Cheyenne, Wyoming – 2008 through 2014
- Colorado Springs Airport Exhibit – 2013
- Art Room 114, Group Exhibit, El Dorado, Kansas – 2013
- Romancing The Arts, Castle Rock, CO -2009 – Honorable Mention
- “Own an Original”, Littleton, CO – 2012, 2009
- Annual Zonta Women in Art Show, Canon City, Oct. 2009, 2008
- Lines Into Shapes National Show, Estes Park, CO, Sept. 2008, 2003, 2002
- 1st Annual Front Range Art Exhibit, Castle Rock, CO, Oct. 2007 – First Place Professional Division
- Solo exhibit – Pikes Peak Library District, summer 2006
- The Western Spirit Art Show, Old West Museum, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 2005
- “Own An Original”, Littleton, CO 2004 – Second Place-Oil
- The Second Annual Lone Tree (Colorado) Art Exhibit, 2003 – Second Place-Oil
- 12th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Boulder, CO, April 2003
- The Western Spirit Art Show, Old West Museum, Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 2003
- The First Annual Lone Tree (Colorado) Art Exhibit, June 2002 –First Place Oil
- Blossom Festival Show, Freemont Center for the Arts, Canon City, Colorado, May 2002
- The Western Spirit Art Show, Old West Museum, Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 2001, 2000
- Nineteenth Annual Miniature Juried Art Show, El Dorado Gallery, Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 2000 –First Place Oil
- Annual Miniature Juried Art Show, Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 1999, 1998
- Gateway to the Rockies National Miniature Show, Aurora, Colorado, 1998 – Juror’s Award Oil
- Evergreen Naturalists Audubon Society, Evergreen, Colorado, November 1995, 1994, 1991
- 1989 Spring Awards Show, Littleton, CO – Juror’s Award
- 1989 Spring Awards Show, Littleton, CO – First Place-Drawing
- Colorado State Fair Fine Art Exhibit, Pueblo, Colorado, August 1988
- 1987 Spring Awards Show, Littleton, CO – Popular Choice
Workshops and Seminars
- Jan Martin McGuire Workshop - Sandstone, MN - 2017
- Jill Soukup Workshop - Denver, CO - 2016
- Greg Beecham Workshop - Kalispell, Montana - 2014
- Jay Moore workshop - Parker, CO - 2014
- Greg Beecham workshop – Colorado Springs – 2012
- Scottsdale Artist’s School – Greg Beecham workshop – 2010
- Scottsdale Artist’s School – Luke Frazier workshop – National Wildlife Museum, Jackson, WY 2002
- Zemsky/Hines Pro Art Workshop, Bozeman, MT – Attended three years during 1990’s. Instructors included: John Seerey-Lester, Paco Young, Terry Issac, Jessica Zemsky, Jack Hines, and others.
- Yellowstone Wildlife Workshop, Yellowstone National Park, 1995. Instructors included: Carl Brenders, Alan Hunt, Morton Solberg and John Seerey-Lester
- Robert Bateman seminars – Natural History Museum, Denver, and The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
- Walt Disney Institute, Orlando, FL, 1998 – Motion picture animation class
- Scottsdale Artist’s School – Robert Shufelt drawing class
- Art Student’s League of Denver – Numerous classes. Instructors included: Doug Dawson, Mel Carter, Mark Thompson and Veryl Goodnight
- Denver Natural History Museum, 1998 – Dinosaur drawing class
- Denver Zoo, 1994 – Animal sculpture workshop with Kenneth Bunn
- Denver Zoo, 1991-1992 – Animal life drawing classes with Timothy Prutzer
- Additional workshops in Denver, San Jose and Dallas. Instructors included: Kay Witherspoon, Gary Michael, Dee Tascano, Dodie Rufner & Naomi Brotherton
