The Bryan Museum tapped into its roots and raised a glass — and more than $1.3 million — during its 10th Anniversary Gala, a high-octane homage to Texas’ oil legends that glittered as bright as a gusher at sunrise. Held April 12 on the storied grounds of the Galveston landmark, the Wildcatters Gala toasted five titans of the Lone Star oil legacy in a night that mixed boomtown nostalgia, couture curation, and a live-wire performance by Billy Bob Thornton and his band, The Boxmasters.
More than 500 guests turned out for the celebration, chaired by Dancie and Jim Ware and Renee and Scott Rice, honoring Ernie H. Cockrell, Mary Ralph Lowe, Trevor Rees-Jones, and the families of Eddy C. Scurlock and R.E. “Bob” Smith.
Guests were welcomed by a cinematic Boomtown façade and ushered into the rollicking Spindletop Saloon, where bartenders in oil-rush garb served “The Rob Roy” with a wink. The saloon spilled into interactive history vignettes—one channeling the early 1900s with the Scurlock and Cockrell legacies, another styled as a 1980s oil tycoon’s den complete with vintage tech and nods to the Astrodome. The immersive experience felt part museum, part Mad Men, part Texas-sized fever dream.
And speaking of curation. Inside, guests previewed Kermit Oliver & Hermès: Storytelling on Silk & Canvas, the acclaimed exhibit blending high art and haute couture. Native Texan Kermit Oliver, the first American to design for the French fashion house, was feted through rare Hermès scarves and original works, reminding partygoers that Texas culture isn’t just oil and cattle, but silk and symbolism, too.
J.P. Bryan, museum founder, took center stage for a poignant tribute to the honorees.
“This year we chose to honor, not just a single gifted individual, but an entire industry of exceptional people who succeeded in making Texas the largest oil producer in the United States,” he said. Each honoree received The Bryan Museum History Medal of Honor, embedded with a 1500s-era silver coin and set in a five-point star, one point for each honoree, all stars in their own right.
The night ended on a high note — literally — with Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters igniting the tent with a raucous set that left boots tapping and bourbon glasses clinking.
The $1.3 million raised marks a new fundraising record on Galveston Island, benefiting the museum’s exhibitions, education initiatives, and outreach programs.
Among those in the crowd were Christy and Webb Jennings, Mary B. Jennings, Lila Jennings, Gary Petersen, Susan and Bill Sealy, Ellye Anderson and Carter Ware, Eddy and Harrison Blanton, Diana and Scott Anderson, Brady Caruth, Lisa and Michael O’Leary, Kirby and Scott McCool, Lindsay and Rand Holstead, Courtney Hopson, Shelly Mulanax, Mayes Middleton, Jochen Reiser and Gerri Popov, Terry and Tom Smith, Diane and Fred Burns, Victor and Janice Pierson, Kelley Sullivan Georgiades and George Georgiades, Jolyn and Russell Scheirman, Sarah and Todd Sullivan, and Alicia Brian.
Photo by Dave Rossman
Ernie and Janet Cockrell; Stephanie and Ernie Cockrell.
