Western Art & Architecture | August/September 2024

By Todd Wilkinson

What is the true West, and why does our search for an answer matter today?

Will James straddled a fine line between real and imaginary, fact and fiction, the mythological and genuine article. He traversed, as an artistic underdog, the boundary between invention and reinvention, often being on the move to stay ahead of the past.

According to Bill Rey, owner and partner of Claggett/Rey Gallery in Edwards, Colorado, James represented a version of the American West that millions still want to believe in. Earlier generations escaped into James’ world on every page he ever wrote, on matinee screens where his storylines represented an escape, and in every nuanced outline of a horse that inhabited his memory — gestural forms he mastered as well as anyone else, including better-known giants of Western art — because he drew from the heart.

In August at Claggett/Rey Gallery, something of a Will James revival is being staged. Entitled Cowboys North and South, the show — which will be up the entire month — commemorates the 100th anniversary publishing of a James’ book by the same name. Pure and mischievous in its intent, the happening brings together an enigmatic assemblage of fine art created not only by James [1892–1942] but inspired by him. Painters and sculptors past and present, photographers, poets, makers of fine Western jewelry and textiles will all have works represented. At least 100 objects will be in the show. It is Rey’s way of paying homage to what he calls “the unifying presence James had at a crucial time in our country’s history.” That’s not dissimilar, he says, to where we find ourselves now. “I believe art that reminds us of where we’ve been can serve as a compass for reaching the better place we’re heading.”

Western Art Collector | August 2024

By Chadd Scott

The words and images of Will James serve as the inspiration for a new show at Claggett/Rey Gallery.

Will James’ life as a cowboy across the West read like a novel, so, at the encouragement of his wife, he wrote it all down. What started as magazine stories evolved into 24 books between 1924 and 1942. All feature his illustrations. James (1892-1942) was the archetypal cowboy artist.

He did 18 months on a cattle rustling rap in 1914, time he used honing his talent for drawing, a talent expressed as a child growing up in Québec, Canada, under his given name Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault. The boy’s fascination with horses and cowboys led him to the western United States where he assumed various aliases—perhaps in evasion of the law—eventually setting on Will James.

A real-life man with no name. A real-life drifter.

Sporting Classics | July/August 2024

By Todd Wilkinson

A trove of works from the estate of painter Robert Lougheed is giving new generations fresh appreciation for his sporting art.

How would you rate your level of knowledge about some of the greatest sporting artists of the past century?

Just for fun, try this test. Mention the name Robert Elmer Lougheed and, in some older social circles, the reference immediately summons heartfelt visions of major oil paintings hanging in prominent museums or works considered essential additions to any reputable private Western art collection.

Indeed, Lougheed (1910-1982) is celebrated as a master painter of horses and as a “cowboy artist” though he never dwelled on a ranch, ran cattle or would be mistaken for a salty wrangler on the fictional TV shows “Gunsmoke” or “Yellowstone.”

The Denver Post | April 29, 2024

By Michelle Ellis

The Colorado Governor’s Art Show & Sale, one of the largest juried fine art shows to exclusively feature Colorado artists, has revealed the 61 Colorado artists selected to participate in the 33rd annual exhibit, plus the 2024 Legacy Artist. From May 11 through June 9, the show and sale will feature an in-person exhibit at the Loveland Museum and both in-person and online fine art sales. 

Vail Valley Magazine | November 21, 2023

By Shauna Farnell

When William Truman Hosner is outside painting, he slips into a subconscious state. He is hypnotized by the work of capturing sunlight as it moves across a building or hillside, on the deepening shades of blue and black across varying depths of a seascape. Working exclusively in pastels, he feels like a child finger painting. But when he’s finished, the scene looks staggeringly real, with shadows stretching under rock formations, reflections twinkling off the surface of water or casting a shimmer onto a wall.

“Most of the time when I come off the field, I can’t tell you what I’ve done for the last three hours,” Hosner said. “But afterward, I look at the painting and say, you know, this one’s not too bad.”

A Detroit native who now splits his time between his home city and Paso Robles, Calif., Hosner started his art career as a commercial illustrator. He created illustrations for major films, car companies and magazines. Having originally gathered his skills through a fine arts program at Wayne State University, he realized one day that his heart’s path was leaning toward painting.

Mercy Newsroom | August 24, 2023

ST. LOUIS  – The life and service of Sister Mary Roch Rocklage will be commemorated in a sculpture to be installed at The Mercy Center for Performance Medicine & Specialty Care, on the campus of Mercy St. Louis, on Thursday, Aug. 24. Colorado artist Jane DeDecker, renowned for her work spotlighting women who made important contributions to history, was commissioned to sculpt Sister Roch, as she was affectionately known by those in the Mercy community and beyond.

As the leader whose vision created Mercy’s integrated health care system, Sister Roch also anticipated the need to transition leadership of the Sisters of Mercy health system to lay leaders, guiding the work over several years. Born Antoinette Marie Rocklage, Sister Roch died in August 2022 after a lengthy illness. She was known for her humble but tenacious leadership style – a blend of compassion, bold innovation and selflessness. Her devotion lives on in the work that continues across Mercy.

Western Art Collector | July 2023

LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS BY LANNY GRANT AND JEWELRY BY BO JOE ARRIVE AT CLAGGETT/REY GALLERY

On July 10, Claggett/Rey Gallery in Edwards, Colorado, will offer a fascinating pairing of artists: oil painter Lanny Grant and jeweler Bo Joe. Together their works will speak to each other as they complement a larger story of the West.

“Claggett/Rey Gallery is excited to host two exciting shows concurrently during the month of July for artists Bo Joe and Lanny Grant. Lanny Grant will unveil his Wilderness Legacy collection focused on his expeditions into preserved alpine destinations of the Colorado and Wyoming mountains,” says gallery owner Margaret DeDecker. “Bo Joe’s exhibit Beauty in the Raw – From Earth to Art combines his artistic passions of interlacing traditional tufa casting techniques with his intuition to reveal the inner beauty of raw gemstones—creating unique wearable works of art.”

Loveland Reporter-Herald

By Austin Fleskes

When the League of Women Voters of Colorado announced a Mother’s Day campaign to recognize statewide modern suffragists, Kathy Wilson, a member of the Larimer County chapter of the league, had one woman in mind to nominate.

“From the first time I heard about the program, the fundraiser for the league, Jane (DeDecker) just came to mind immediately because of the work she has done on the monument, all the research she has done,” she said. “I thought she was the perfect nominee.”

Vail Daily

By Shauna Farnell

At first glance, there’s no obvious similarity between Nancy Switzer and Jane DeDecker or their work. DeDecker sculpts (oftentimes life-sized) human figures and animals out of clay. Switzer paints inanimate objects – cartons, cans, sacks and bottles – on canvas. However, DeDecker says there’s a directness and similar palpable energy to both of their work. Switzer describes their common ground as “ballsy.”

Western Art Collector | March 2023

When visiting Colorado, you simply cannot ignore the monumental and awe-inspiring presence of the many peaks and natural wonders of the Rocky Mountain range or the “Southern Rocky Mountains.” Colorado is home to the highest of the peaks in the entire range that spans around 3,000 miles between Canada and New Mexico. Many creatives, for many years and across generations, have been hypnotized by its allure—compelling them to try their very best to not only capture the indescribable beauty of the Rockies, but a taste of Colorado itself.

Claggett/Rey Gallery is nestled in the heart of the Colorado mountains in the quaint town of Edwards, Colorado. This adorable town is the energized heart of the Vail Valley—surrounded by fabulous restaurants, retail, an arts center and bookstore with convenient parking for patrons.

American Art Collector | March 2023

TWO COLORADO ARTISTS EXPLORE GESTURE AND FLOW IN EVERYDAY SCENES

By Meg Daly

As winter’s grip begins to loosen in the Rocky Mountains, a show of new works by Colorado artists Jane DeDecker and Nancy Switzer harkens the energy and light of early spring.

The Aspen Times

By Josie Taris

The Basalt River Park will soon be home to new public-art installations meant to capture the spirit town. 

The Basalt Town Council approved an agreement for professional services Tuesday to contract local artist Gail Folwell to create and install her “Stay Human” project in Basalt. 

The project comprises bronze sculptures ranging in height from 5 to 6’8” tall and mounted on steel poles, depicting people in movement. The sculptures are designed to spin, either by wind or hand. 

Sara Nadolny is a senior planner with the town, and she helped lead the search for an artist to contribute to Basalt River Park. 

Vail Daily

By Shauna Farnell

More than once over the years, Josh Elliott has been standing at his easel in a desolate sprawl of land in rural Montana on a gray day, when a rancher has approached and asked what he could possibly be painting.

“It’s the job of the artist to point out the things that are beautiful,” says Elliott, whose incredibly realistic oil landscapes have been fixtures at the Claggett/Rey Gallery in Edwards since 2003. “There are parts of a scene that people who aren’t artists wouldn’t see, like how blue or purple mountains look in the distance or how water moves under certain light.”

Jane DeDecker created bronze for city’s 42nd heart sculpture

Loveland Reporter-Herald

By Austin Fleskes

In the grand tradition of the Sweetheart City, Loveland representatives, artists and community members celebrated love on Valentine’s Day by gathering to unveil a new heart sculpture.

The 42nd heart sculpture — a part of the Chamber of Commerce’s “HeART” program — was unveiled Tuesday morning in front of the Capstone at Centerra assisted living center in east Loveland.

“We love doing hearts for the love of Loveland,” said Dixie Daly, business and membership director for the Loveland Chamber of Commerce.

The newest heart was created by Loveland artist Jane DeDecker. She said during the unveiling that while she maintains a busy schedule, when she was approached to create the piece she was excited to take it on.

Western Art Collector | January 2023

A closer look at the artwork of Don Coen

Bucolic is the preeminent characterization that solidifies in the mind when describing Don Coen’s artwork. Born and raised where the grasslands meet the plains near Lamar, Colorado, Coen has experienced rural life with authenticity.  His paintings mirror this validity and bring the farm and ranch life to center stage along with the importance of all the individuals who raise, nurture and harvest the food that sustains us daily. His eight decades of intimate engagement are the backbone to how pure his heart and his art play out on canvas.

Arkansas Times

By Mary Hennigan

Daisy Gatson Bates, who was a mentor to the Little Rock Nine, a civil rights activist, a former Arkansas NAACP president and a pioneering Black journalist, is now commemorated with a bronze bust along the banks of the Arkansas River.

At-large Director Dean Kumpuris, a longtime advocate for the development of Little Rock’s riverfront, has worked to add yet another art piece to the River Market Sculpture Garden. Joining 90 other artworks, the Bates sculpture also includes a backing wall made of natural blue stones that represent the river.

American Art Collector | November 2022

A closer look at the artwork of John Asaro

John Asaro is among the most masterful figurative creators in North America. Complimenting the human form with broad bright swaths of color drove his passion to express his perspectives on canvas. Rushing in without fear to capture the urgency or delicacy of the moment, his work takes on a modern element through his enlightened sense and awareness of shapes, contrast and diffusion of color.

USA TODAY | October 16, 2022

By Suzette Hackney

These women deserve to be memorialized within one of America's most prominent public spaces. Congress must step up to ensure it happens.

Washington's National Mall elicits chills whenever I have the chance to stroll among the powerful monuments honoring dead presidents, those who served in our armed forces and those who fought for equality and freedom for all Americans.

But there's always something missing: women.

I'm hopeful that will change soon. It must.

ART Weekly | August 26th 2022

Artist John Asaro at Claggett/Rey Gallery

By Kimberly Nicoletti

John Asaro elevates the human body through his play with color, composition and form. His fascination with the human figure has compelled him to depict hundreds of nudes and dancers in his masterful and stylish oil paintings. He is as artistic as he is accurate in his presentation of human figures; an interest in architecture helps him approach painting human bodies much like constructing a building -only he uses muscles, tendons and bone structures as his building blocks.

Viewing dancers as the "ultimate perfect figures" in physique, Asaro highlights the models' striking positions and costumes with two or three different colors of light; the third light illuminates the side of the dancer that would typically show as shadowy and inspires him to portray the entire body in a uniquely remarkable manner. For instance, the "shad.ow" side might reveal itself in purples, which complement hues of blue and turquoise, or in reds, which contrast the cooler colors.

"It's just a play with light,” Asaro said. "The light is always a differ.ent color, and I push that color and make it just a little stronger. I try to do things photographers and other people don't see - a different view of the picture.”

American Essence | August 2022

Colorado sculptor Jane DeDecker shares the early influences that helped her creativity bloom, and how she’s encouraging the next generation of creators

Written and photographed by Poppy Richie

Do you have a budding Michelangelo or Georgia O’Keeffe in your home, and are you wondering how to guide him or her on the artist’s journey? We can take children to museums, provide them with art materials, talk about art, and sign them up for classes. We can watch videos and read books on how to inspire creativity. We can learn from an artist who’s traveled on this road, like the sculptor Jane DeDecker, who lives and works in Loveland, Colorado, where I live.

Across the street from my house is the Benson Sculpture Garden, where some of Jane’s statues are installed. Out of curiosity and admiration for her work, I decided to ask for an interview to find out about what influences were at play as she developed her talent. We met in her studio, a big barn behind my favorite coffee shop, the Muse, a business her family owns and operates.