About the Gallery
The Great American West Gallery specializes in offering
paintings and sculpture created by the finest Western
Artists in the world including invitees to the prestigous Prix
de West and Masters of the American West Exhibitions, members of
the Cowboy Artists of
America as well as the historic Western masters. The
Gallery presents artists whose work depict authentic
representations of the West holding true to the Western American
Realism Movement.
The Gallery is located at 332 S. Main Street in the center of Historic Downtown Grapevine
Texas in a retail building constructed in 1897 that for years
provided needed supplies to the early settlers of Tarrant County.
Purchased in 1921 by some of the city of Grapevine's founding
fathers, the historic building next became home to the Tarrant
County State Bank. In 1946, the building traded ownership and
housed The Grapevine Sun Newspaper
for 63 years until 2009 when it was purchased by Great American
West Gallery owner, Phil Berkebile, Jr. Since acquiring the
building, Mr. Berkebile has carefully preserved and authentically
restored the building to its original 1897 vintage with aged oak
floors, bead board ceiling and original exposed brickwork. The
Tarrant County State Bank vault at the center of the Gallery has
also been faithfully restored to its original grandeur. Today,
paintings from deceased Western masters are displayed within the
vault.
The Great American West Gallery building was declared a Texas
Historic Landmark in 1986. In September of
2011 Mr. Berkebile was awarded the Conservation Award by The
Grapevine Heritage Foundation in recognition of the building's
restoration.
