Archives for 2017 November-December Issue

The Studio of Joseph Henry Sharp (1859-1953)

The Studio of Joseph Henry Sharp (1859-1953)

November 18, 2017 | by

Nestled between the shimmering peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the precipitous gash of the Rio Grande Gorge, the light-filled Taos Valley exudes a mystical feeling that has lured peoples to this enchanting location for hundreds of years. By 1335, the Tiwa-speaking Indians had permanently settled into homes in the Taos Pueblo and soon were followed by Spanish conquistadors, explorers such as Kit Carson, and, eventually, colonists from Mexico, who founded the adobe village of Taos in 1615. Few in number, residents of that sleepy little settlement never could have imagined that, three centuries later, their livelihood would
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‘The Sagebrush Rembrandt’

‘The Sagebrush Rembrandt’

November 18, 2017 | by

He hailed from West Virginia, received most of his training in Europe, and lived most of his life in New York City. But William R. Leigh is best known for his portrayals of the West – a region he didn’t explore until he was about 40 years old. Eventually, however, his became so connected with the West that he was dubbed the “Sagebrush Rembrandt.” Leigh was born September 23, 1866, to a family whose once-valuable estate had just been destroyed by Civil War-related carnage and looting. He claimed to have descended from both Sir Walter Raleigh and Pocahontas. Though those
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Western Voices: Past and Present

Western Voices: Past and Present

November 18, 2017 | by

Generations of painters and sculptors make up the fabric of art of the American West. The ongoing influence of artists, reaching back to the 1800s, is evident in the ambitions and efforts of younger artists today and, just as the best artists of old are known by their unique stylistic voices, a new generation strives to develop its own voice and, perhaps, the opportunity to influence those who follow them. Art of the West has been a platform for Western art for the past 30 years, helping us to hear the voices of new generations of artists, along with echoes
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Women Artists: Meeting the Challenge

Women Artists: Meeting the Challenge

November 18, 2017 | by

It’s no secret that women artists often have a more difficult time than their male counterparts in not only succeeding in their careers, but in the prices paid for their work and in the collectability of that work by museums. It’s a topic that has been quietly discussed for many years, but now is gaining awareness, due in part to members of American Women Artists (AWA), who were shocked when they realized that women artists represent only 3 to 5 percent of artwork in museum collections. As a result, the group has launched 25 in 25, a campaign to have
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Western Art: An Evolving Story

Western Art: An Evolving Story

November 18, 2017 | by

In the late 19th century, Western artists were, in essence, historians of the American West. James Catlin, Hudson River School artists Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran and others created realistic paintings that told the story of Indians, white pioneers, and unspoiled landscape. Other well-known artists, such as Frederic Remington and Charlie Russell, expanded the genre into action scenes depicting the disappearing Wild West. In more recent history, illustrators such as Howard Terpning, Frank McCarthy, Bob Kuhn, and Howard Rogers, continued to document the Western story, but from a more contemporary standpoint. Does that mean there is a Western art revolution,
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Simple Dignity

Simple Dignity

November 18, 2017 | by

George Carlson is a man of many dimensions. He is a former illustrator and a reformed ski bum. He is a husband and father, a grandfather and gardener. He also a master artist, who for more than five decades, has been creating works that have earned him worldwide acclaim and countless awards. And yet, he is unpretentious, happily content to pursue the craft that has captivated him since childhood and that continues to excite him. Born and raised in Illinois, today Carlson and his wife Pam live on 55 acres of land near a lake in Idaho, where four gardens—English,
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