Caroline Belanger
Iconic: Black Gold, 2020
Mixed media on paper
36 x 24 x 2 in.
(91.4 x 61 x 5.1 cm)

I donated this “iconic” work of art to the 50th-annual Cattle Baron’s Ball—the largest single-night fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in the United States—in October 2023. This annual western-themed extravaganza has brought in talent like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Dwight Yoakam, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, and, this year’s headliner, Shania Twain, as entertainment, not to mention a wildly successful live and silent auction. In fact, during the past 49 years, Cattle Baron’s has generated more than $93 million for cancer research.

In 2023, Cattle Baron’s Ball was hosted at the iconic Southfork Ranch, the midcentury home of the Ewing family from the television show DALLAS. In light of the setting, hundreds of butterflies made from both hand-painted papers and vintage DALLAS ephemera collect to create the unforgettable silhouette of JR Ewing. Take a closer look and you’ll even spot important Dallas monuments and the faces of important Ewing family members hiding among the black gold that has made both so famous.

Exhibited:
2023 Cattle Baron’s Ball. Southfork Ranch, Parker, TX, October 2023.