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Bill Stevens at the podium of the Frontier Times Museum.
Photos by Theresa Doyle-Nelson
August 6, 2025
Bandera's beloved Western artist—Bill Stevens
By Theresa Doyle-Nelson
The Bandera Prophet
If you live in or have ever visited Bandera, you have likely seen a handful of western murals around town. Near the fire station, the American Legion and the laundry house, you can find some brilliant large murals with western themes that often prompt one to stop and ponder.
When spending a moment or two focusing on these murals, you can almost feel like you are back in the frontier days of Texas. You can nearly taste the dust, feel the soft leather of a saddle, hear horses whinnying, and detect a splashing sound from a river.
Although born in San Antonio, Bill Stevens actually spent a good chunk of his childhood in New York City. He loved to walk to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he came to have a deep appreciation for art; western art would become his favorite genre.
After college back in Texas, he worked some years as a rodeo cowboy, and later landed a corporate job. His love of western art continued, however, his busy work life became a time-consuming focus. After many years passed by, Bill decided to leave the corporate world behind. He moved to Bandera, and put his whole heart into western art: painting, sculpting and cartooning.
Besides his murals in town, you might catch some of his cartoons in the Bandera Prophet, or you can stop by the Frontier Times Museum and discover more than 20 pieces of his art. If you are lucky, you might happen to see Stevens himself in the museum's Art Gallery—reminiscing his many works. The Bill Stevens collection will be at the museum for a limited time.
Some fun facts on Bill Stevens:
1) He was a Rodeo Cowboy as a Texas A&M University student.
2) He is a licensed pilot.
3) His artwork can be found in public and private collections across the U.S. and abroad.
4) For his paintings, Bill uses only three colors; mixing and blending as needed.
5) Bill is also an artistic storyteller—he easily keeps full attention of listeners while sharing his many life adventures.
When spending a moment or two focusing on these murals, you can almost feel like you are back in the frontier days of Texas. You can nearly taste the dust, feel the soft leather of a saddle, hear horses whinnying, and detect a splashing sound from a river.
Although born in San Antonio, Bill Stevens actually spent a good chunk of his childhood in New York City. He loved to walk to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he came to have a deep appreciation for art; western art would become his favorite genre.
After college back in Texas, he worked some years as a rodeo cowboy, and later landed a corporate job. His love of western art continued, however, his busy work life became a time-consuming focus. After many years passed by, Bill decided to leave the corporate world behind. He moved to Bandera, and put his whole heart into western art: painting, sculpting and cartooning.
Besides his murals in town, you might catch some of his cartoons in the Bandera Prophet, or you can stop by the Frontier Times Museum and discover more than 20 pieces of his art. If you are lucky, you might happen to see Stevens himself in the museum's Art Gallery—reminiscing his many works. The Bill Stevens collection will be at the museum for a limited time.
Some fun facts on Bill Stevens:
1) He was a Rodeo Cowboy as a Texas A&M University student.
2) He is a licensed pilot.
3) His artwork can be found in public and private collections across the U.S. and abroad.
4) For his paintings, Bill uses only three colors; mixing and blending as needed.
5) Bill is also an artistic storyteller—he easily keeps full attention of listeners while sharing his many life adventures.