DALLAS, TX.- The Belo Collection of Texas Art — a thoughtfully-curated selection of 300 lots of artwork and photography, including David Bates' seminal The Blue Heron — will appear at Heritage Auctions on Oct. 18 as part of a day-long presentation of Texas artists at auction. Heritage's Texas Art Signature Auction will take place earlier the same day.

The Belo Collection represents some of the best contemporary art produced in Texas over the last 60 years, as well as works by well-known national artists, and will be presented at a special auction beginning at 1 p.m. in Heritage's Design District Annex, 1518 Slocum St., in Dallas.

"These are the artists who are building Texas' future art legacy," said Brian Roughton, Managing Director of Fine Arts at Heritage. "With Post-War and Contemporary Art taking top-lot honors and more interest surging into collecting regional art, the Belo Collection will appeal to both dedicated Texas art collectors as well as those looking to begin a collection."

The Belo company began in the newspaper publishing business in 1842 and is the oldest continually operating business in Texas. As the publisher of The Dallas Morning News, the company became a corporation consisting of printing and publishing enterprises, broadcasting stations and an online publishing company. Belo has been a strong patron of the arts, particularly works by women and minority artists.

Under the stewardship of Judith Segura starting in 1986, the Belo Collection became the perfect platform to support local artists and galleries engaged in the thriving Texas contemporary art scene. The earliest works in the collection include regional artists active in the 1940s and expanded into household names like Rauschenberg, Judd and Lichtenstein. The auction proceeds will be donated to The Belo Foundation, which supports college-level journalism education and the development of urban parks in Dallas.

Interestingly, rather than presenting the works with estimates, the Belo Collection will be presented with an "opening bid," Roughton said. Auction estimates are most often established on secondary market results for similar works in size, subject, condition, and period in the artist's career. In the case of the Belo Collection, many of the works by artists in the collection have not previously sold at auction. "It was agreed a very enticing opening bid — regardless of the current value or gallery price — gives everyone a good chance of placing a bid before the hammer falls!" Roughton said.

The Oct. 18 presentation of the Belo Collection, along with Signature Texas Art, includes important self-taught artists, such as New Girl in Town, 1962 by Velox Ward (opening bid $3,000) as well as masterpieces of Texas landscape painting such as Mythic Texas, Late Drive, 1997 by Dennis Blagg (with a very enticing opening bid $2,500).

A work by renowned Spanish artist Jesus Mari Lazkano (opening bid $1,500) depicts the Belo Mansion, a Dallas landmark, and Lush Gardens, 1997, by contemporary Texas art legend Bob "Daddy-O" Wade (opening bid $3,000) is emblematic of his signature style that may be found in nearly every art museum in the state.

Heritage Auctions is sponsoring a special receptionof selected highlights of the Belo Collection of Texas Art at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary galleries at 6 p.m. Aug. 28. The reception and preview are free and open to the public. The collection will be on display from Aug. 26-Aug. 29, 3120 McKinney Ave., Dallas.