We just installed Denny Haskew's last available casting of "White Deer of Autumn" at Gurley Hall on the UNM-Gallup campus. We absolutely love this sculpture in this space. The patina against the backdrop of adobe walls and blue skies is dynamic and she feels at home.

The project was guided by New Mexico Arts as part of their Art in Public Places initiative. We loved working with everyone involved in making this placement a success. Special Thanks to Corry with Better Built Construction Services for pouring the footing and assisting with the installation. 
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Learn about what inspired this sculpture... click here

JK Designs and the National Sculptors' Guild have a number of projects in various stages of completion that we're looking forward to sharing and installing in 2024; as pictured:

Denny Haskew - Trail of Forgiveness, Loveland, CO
Dee Clements - Fortitude, Santa Fe Springs, CA
Jane DeDecker - Ho'okipa, Honolulu, HI
Jane DeDecker - YMCA, Ottawa, IL
Joe Norman - Monarch Girl, Gladstone, MO
NSG Team - Armed Forces Memorial, Paramount, CA
Gary Alsum - Dedication, Cerritos, CA
NSG Team - Tribute to Public Safety Plaza, Cerritos, CA
NSG Team - Inspiration Plaza, Little Rock, AR
Denny Haskew - Strength of the Maker, Loveland, CO
Denny Haskew - Moulding Our Future, Cerritos, CA


We are also finalists in upcoming projects, and know we will be adding many more amazing compositions by our Guild members to corporate and public art collections throughout the year. If you have a project needing an artful solution, we look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for appreciating art and supporting our team of artists.
May 2024 bring you health, peace, and happiness. Happy New Year!

The National Sculptors' Guild is saddened to hear that former Guild member, Sharles, passed away on Sunday, he was 83. Flora and Fauna were his subject matter, he explored it for decades in every media and method. As collectors of the eccentric artist know, his love for nature lives on in each one of his sculptures, paintings and textiles. Some favorites were his earthy Ikebana Series and the vibrant Classical Vases formed of Iris and daffodils; frogs, lizards and dragonflies often found their way into a composition.

We represented Sharles from 1994-2008, showing his art in our galleries in Colorado and New Mexico. We placed hundreds of his vessels and smaller works, as well as a number of large-scale bas-reliefs. Our largest placement through the Guild came in 2001 when we installed "The Amaryllis Fountain" in the Civic Plaza of the City of Cerritos, California. Images show various points in the creation of the multifaceted sculpture that featured a central 9ft tall bronze Amaryllis surrounded by Four vignettes of a Swan, Frog, Koi and Turtle accompanied by sculpted water lilies, and shorter stemmed amaryllis, plus natural aquatic plants. Water streams from the center of each flower in the 16-ft diameter composition. All finished in his signature vibrant colors; Sharles never shied away from a bold stroke of color. Click here to see more of this project. We are pleased that people will continue to enjoy his unique vision of the world through his art.

BIOGRAPHY:
Sharles was born in Italy of American parents on their honeymoon while visiting European relatives. The family was forced to sit out the war in Britain, and when the war ended, traveled home. But the transition to post-war United States was not an easy one. His parents divorced, leaving a 5 year-old Sharles to be raised by various relatives in a sparse ranching/farm environment of Colorado and Wyoming.
This early childhood led Sharles to believe he was born in that rural area for most of his adult life.  His parents wanted to forget, and erase all memories of the war experiences and lacking the long lost Italian birth papers enrolled him in school via borrowed credentials and name of a near cousin. Art collectors, artists, friends, and the world,  only know him today by his signature and professional art name of  “SHARLES”.
At the age of 10, his Boston grandmother removed him from the Midwest, not wanting her grandson to become a cowboy. She was a stylish, sophisticated widow, self-made businesswoman who was a very successful art and antique dealer to wealthy East Coast collectors.
Sharles spent his teens immersed in the totally different world of Boston and foreign travel, art museums, and his grandmother’s art business.  He assisted his grandmother in her antique store, and on buying trips to India, France, Italy, China, and Japan. In addition to his own cultural heritage of English, French, and Italian art,  he  was immersed in  many other cultures and educated about the antiques and decorative arts associated with his grandmother’s business.
His grandmother was a passionate collector of art and loved flowers.  These were common interests shared with her best friend, Grace Wedgwood who was related to the famous English Wedgwood pottery family.  Grace Wedgwood was Sharles’ Godmother. These two loving guardians took an active role in his education, privately tutoring him on trains, ocean liners, and in hotel rooms. Sharles received a rare education in the techniques, forms, and artistic values of the decorative arts that were intrinsic to the famed Wedgwood pottery.  Both his grandmother and godmother were dedicated collectors of Wedgwood, oriental bronzes, porcelains, flower paintings, Italian and French art.  These experiences constituted a rich and enduring art education that in time were major influences in his art.
The daily contact with art and flowers became embedded in Sharles’ psyche, and would later come to his aid and ultimate rescue. In 1982 he suffered a serious car accident in Loveland, Colorado, a small farming community. Left as a semi-invalid with almost total amnesia, Sharles struggled to recover. He was stranded, not knowing his past, home, or friends.
While recovering in Loveland, which had a small bronze foundry, Sharles began observing some of the local sculptors, George Lundeen, Fritz White, Danny Ostermiller, Glenna Goodacre, and Kent Ullberg. He gradually began picking up sculpting techniques and learned the casting process. At first, Sharles created the type of western images that were being produced by the other local artists: Indians, eagles, buffaloes, and other western genre.
But one auspicious day while sculpting, Sharles surrendered to the intense pressures of his unremembered past. His subconscious adoration of flowers, plants and nature, so strongly instilled by his deceased grandmother, became dominant themes. These memories were his inspiration in creating functional and decorative arts as he discarded the local, popular art trends.
Not knowing if it could even be done, Sharles began experimenting with creating iris flowers in soft wax.  He attempted to sculpt delicate flower shapes with wet clay techniques, as the Wedgwood potters had done.  Sharles attached these flowers to functional forms, creating extraordinary floral vases, candlesticks, elaborate candelabras, bowls and other types of vessels.  The inspiration of his sculptural style remained a mystery to Sharles for many years as it had all flowed so effortlessly from his mind through his hands.
The bronzes were finished with patinas that were bright natural colors of greens, golds, pinks, and purples that seemed to surprise and even shocked the art world.  So much so, that major galleries were afraid of the purple, blue green patinas and reluctant to show them, having no sales record by which to judge them. After all, their collectors were buying traditional wildlife and Western art in the customary French-brown patina.
In 1987 Sharles was accepted into the 3rd Annual Loveland Sculpture in the Park Show.  At that time, it was a small event organized by local peer artist, George Lundeen, Dan Ostermiller, George Walbye, Fritz White, and Hollis Wilford. It has since become the most important national sculpture show in the United States.  For 23 years, Sharles has participated in this annual juried show of nationally, celebrated sculptors.
Sharles continued to add to his decorative portfolio, waiting for the right gallery to represent him. Finally, Pam Driscoll, of the Driscoll Gallery, saw this new work at the SCULPTURE IN THE PARK art show.  Famous wildlife sculptor Sandy Scott was instrumental in convincing Pam to show his work in her aspen gallery and with hesitation, agreed to show four or five pieces in her gallery.  She was astonished when all five bronzes sold as they were being unpacked. Women particularly loved the colorful, decorative bronzes. Word spread of the immediate sales in Driscoll Gallery, and Sharles soon had more galleries contacting him for his floral decorative work than he could handle.
In 1990, Sharles was one of the many highly talented sculptors from Loveland invited to participate in the Continental Airline’s Sculpture Showcase; a show that would tour the major international airports across the United States for three years. This event exhibited the top sculptors from Loveland: Kent Ullberg, George Lundeen, Fritz White, Hollis Wilford, Steve Kestrel, and other promising artists; adding sculptors as it progressed through the country. Sharles was delegated with the honor of sculpting a bronze centerpiece for the opening night. With the loosely stated theme of “flight”, the requested sculpture seemed of little significance in light of the high caliber of art being showcased. With only three weeks to complete, it was an inspired rush-job. The centerpiece created was a 5 1/2 foot totem-like structure of turtles, iguanas, and birds, crowned with the head of a Native American. The sculpture symbolized man learning the principles of flight from gliding sea turtles, and birds that had evolved from dinosaurs and reptiles. The piece, “Evolution of Flight,” was so successful opening night that it was given a place in the traveling sculpture show. This showstopper, exotic piece, amazed and awed viewers, but none more so, than the airline that had anticipated seeing a French-brown eagle, or some historical rendition of Kitty Hawk.
Both the “Evolution of Flight” sculpture and the traveling show solidified the career of Sharles as a professional sculptor, almost over night.  He had embarked on both projects as a totally unknown artist and had revealed just a tip of the iceberg. 
Sharles was invited into the National Sculptors' Guild in 1994, helping him to place his artwork publicly in large-scale for the first time in Palm Desert, California later that year. He showed his iris-clad bronze vessels and bas-reliefs and fountains, each full of creatures hidden in the leaves in the Guild's galleries in Loveland, Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico and in 1996 the March issue of Southwest Art Magazine published a sizeable article followed by a similar piece in May/June 1998 Art of the West Magazine; further putting Sharles on the map. Sharles is also a member of the Society of Animal Artists at that time.
In 2000, the National Sculptors' Guild's proposal of Sharles' Amaryllis Fountain was selected by the City of  Cerritos; a major public art installation for the civic plaza near their new public library. The final design was a bronze of a giant, red amaryllis flower and purple lotus flowers incorporated into a 16-foot multi-piece water fountain.  This included sculptures of amaryllis flowers, lotus flowers, lilly pads and oversized frog, swan, gold fish and turtle in the completed fountain that was installed near the new library in 2001.
In 2006, Sharles was selected by the City of Loveland, Colorado to place two, circular, 32″ bas-reliefs of California quail, pear cacti, lizards, sunflowers, and birds for placement in the famous Benson Park Sculpture Garden.  In 2008, he was again commissioned by the High Plains Arts Council to sculpt a small 12″ x 12″ bas relief for the 25th anniversary of Sculpture in the Park Show. The sculpture, “The Music of Spring,” is installed in Benson Park as part of the permanent city of Loveland art collection
Despite serious attempts to attend various academic art schools, those intentions never seemed to be a realistic option.  In time, art schools no longer seemed necessary, as Sharles had become a successful, self-taught artist/sculptor, learning skills the hard way, by observation, and trial and error.
He is a self-taught sculptor and oil painter, having drawn in pastels from an early age.  His love of color is evident in his patinas and still lifes of flowers, fruit, parrots, and small wildlife. His paintings and sculptures share similar themes. Sharles inherited his grandmother’s love of flowers, continually creating beautiful art for the sake of beauty. In addition to sculpting & painting, Sharles is a product designer of pillow, stationary, household items, coffee mugs  and a digital artist, nature photographer, in general a computer geek.

The National Sculptors' Guild Fellows have voted to promote Craig Campbell as a Fellow Member. He has been an Associate Member for the past few years and we have seen great success with Craig's work and love collaborating with him. We are finding ourselves finalists with him in another major project currently, so the projection is in the up and up - matching this artist's enthusiasm for life and art.

His artwork is creative, fun, thoughtful, and captivating; his skills make his approach very versatile. Always positive, Craig has been a great advocate of NSG’s members and efforts wherever he goes. If you have one of the new Maya Angelou quarters (among others)– you’re walking around with Craig’s sculpture in your pocket. Look for the CAC on coins... that’s him!

Check out his portfolio and add him to your collection: click here

June has been full of coordinating the move out of Columbine Gallery and the Sculpture Garden, we're happy to share that JK Designs' made the move to home offices and we are excited about our renewed focus on our large-scale projects with the National Sculptors' Guild members artwork. So far, our dog's are the happiest about the move.

Alyson's office is already in use and Jujube is super happy with her new bed in the office.

We were all pleasantly pleased to see the Executive Desk Set fit into John's space. We'll update with a new pic of all the office accoutrements. It sets the tone for some great site designs and public art master planning to take place.

LOCAL NEWS
Five Questions: Alyson Kinkade, a lifetime in the arts


Columbine Gallery closing June 1

By PAMELA JOHNSON 
Loveland Reporter-Herald
May 7, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.




Alyson Kinkade has been creating art for, as she said, “as long as I can remember.”
​
The painter, who runs Columbine Gallery in Loveland with her dad, John Kinkade, is one of 62 artists with pieces in the Governor’s Art Show underway at the Loveland Museum, and dips her paintbrush into many different colors of the art world.

With the National Sculptor’s Guild, she helps place large sculptures in public art collections.

With the gallery, which is closing in June and transitioning to online only, she has provided a place for artists to display and sell their work, and for people to view a variety of different types of art.
​
With her paints, she creates a unique world for people to enjoy.

1. How did you first start as an artist? What is your specialty?
I have enjoyed creating art for as long as I can remember, with great art teachers throughout my primary schools in Greeley and Loveland, and a supportive family with creative friends even before my family started the art gallery. I grew up with encouragement to try all methods and materials that art can take form in, going to the Creative Arts Center all through elementary school.  …  My (junior high) art teacher was Dan Augenstein — we called him Auggie — who I later got to represent as an artist in our gallery. He’s also in the Governor’s Art Show. He specialized in ceramics at the time, so I created a series of ceramic animals that I then sold at Arts Picnic. Connie Einfalt and Laurie White were my art teachers at Loveland High and they were wonderful for exploring photography, sculpture and jewelry making, rare mediums to find at public schools. An enthusiastic art teacher makes a huge impact for a young creative and I’ve remained in contact with them. My junior year of high school I was fortunate enough to spend a summer at Interlochen Arts Camp, which helped me develop a portfolio to get a scholarship to attend the Kansas City Art Institute where I honed in on painting as my primary medium. Following graduation, I lived in Santa Fe where we had a second gallery at the time that I managed for a few years while also creating artwork; then returned to Loveland where I currently live, work and create.

My specialty is oil painting. I have a couple series right now, abstract landscapes and representational custom pet portraits. It’s nice to have the freeing intuitive work of the landscapes balanced by the tighter animal paintings. I love doing both.

2. What is your inspiration, in life and in art?
I am inspired by nature. I love to visually take in the expansive plains of Colorado with ever changing skies. I’m equally inspired by animals and helping groups who advocate for them. Proceeds from my ‘Happiness Is’ pet portrait series help me contribute to animal welfare organizations. I love to give back through my art.
The use of stacked colors in my landscape paintings represent one’s goals and ambitions laid out before them; and the sky is the space to contemplate new ideas. The horizon is where dreams and aspirations meet.

3. Describe the Governor’s Art Show. What makes it special? What is the draw for residents?
I am very proud to be juried in for my 10th time. It is wonderful to be part of such a unique show that gives back to the community through its sales. The 32nd Colorado Governor’s Art Show and Sale is one of the largest juried fine art shows in the state. It runs through June 11th at the Loveland Museum. …

What makes it so special is that it is truly is an “Art with Heart” exhibit, the show benefits Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs’ charitable projects and causes. One-third of the proceeds go to the Thompson Education Foundation’s Homeless Assistance Fund and additional funds go toward scholarships for local art students. Scholarship winners have a piece displayed in the show on the back wall. I have met them, and they are impressive young people with bright futures.

Since 2016, the Governor’s Art Show has had different jurors every year, and that makes each show so distinctive and shows off new artists purely by the aesthetic value of who juried. This makes the show fresh, diverse, and full of what Colorado artists are currently expressing. There are 62 artists on display. You will discover artists from all corners of the state, and there is something for everyone. … The caliber of artists in the show is unmatched. (https://governorsartshow.org)

​4. What is the history of Columbine Gallery? I understand that the physical gallery will be closing. Why and what are the plans for transitioning online? What will become of the building?
Yes, this is our final month of being open to the public as Columbine Gallery. …
My father (John Kinkade) founded the National Sculptors’ Guild in 1992 with a dozen sculptors who wished to find thoughtful public applications for their work. JK Designs is the design team that promotes and provides consultation for the Guild. Columbine Gallery was opened as a space to show the artwork by members of the National Sculptors’ Guild when cities and companies would come out to meet on large-scale commissions. We started out in a small space at 1032 Lincoln Ave. The gallery walls were used to showcase regional painters, and after moving to our current location 2683 N. Taft Ave., Columbine grew into one of Northern Colorado’s largest fine art galleries housing over 50 artists at one time, and the adjacent National Sculptors’ Guild Sculpture Garden filled with 85-100 sculptures year-round.

After 30 years, we have elected to refocus our time and energy on the National Sculptors’ Guild and placing large-scale artwork in commercial and public spaces. Many Lovelanders may be unaware that we have a full-scale public art business, placing over 550 significant monuments across the nation over the years. While we have thoroughly enjoyed working with art appreciators of all levels, the true passion has always been in the design team approach it takes to place great public art. That is how we started, and we are feeling it is time to devote ourselves to the Guild once again.

We will continue to sell much of the artwork online, (nationalsculptorsguild.com), which has become a popular choice among art collectors.  …

This transition to less show space also allows me to pursue more opportunities for my own artwork, and my father can continue to work on his philanthropic projects that often combine the arts and helping community. It has been a privilege to serve the community of Loveland and our amazing stable of artists over the years. We look forward to continuing to do so in a different capacity.

We are thrilled to see someone new take the space with new energy and ideas to make their own mark on this special art-filled city. The Taft Avenue gallery and garden will continue to showcase art as the new owner is currently working to open ‘par-a-dox fine arts’ this summer. There will be different artists and events that will renew the space with creative energy. It feels good that our legacy will continue in this way.

5. What are your favorite places to enjoy art in Loveland?
Columbine Gallery and Garden (through May), Benson Sculpture Garden, Loveland Museum, Artworks, Artspace, Downtown Loveland (rotating sculptures and the growing mural collection) some of the local restaurants have fun rotating artwork (Muse, Verboten, Henry’s, West End) and occasionally I grab a blizzard at the Dairy Queen and enjoy seeing sculptures on loan there too. Loveland is full of great art and artists everywhere you go.

Bonus: What advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Dream big, put in the hours, seek out those who support your efforts, and give back when you can.

Alyson Kinkade
Years in Loveland: 26
Occupation: Artist, Director at Columbine Gallery and the National Sculptors' Guild

Pamela Johnson | Assistant Editor
Pamela Johnson is an award-winning journalist with two decades invested in the community of Loveland. She covers education, county government, environmental issues, outdoor recreation and whatever else she finds along the way. [email protected]  Follow Pamela Johnson @RHPamelaJ

Columbine Gallery’s Loveland location has served as headquarters and home to the National Sculptors’ Guild and its sculpture garden, featuring some of the country's finest sculptors, since 1992. One of the largest fine art sources in Northern Colorado, the gallery and adjacent NSG Sculpture Garden quickly became a destination spot leading to thousands of art placements, large and small, in collectors’ homes across the nation. The Father/Daughter owners wish to announce a direction shift to the public art side of their business. They are selling the gallery space to provide greater dedication to their large-scale placements than the events and exhibitions that make a gallery shine.
 
“We will continue to sell artwork online, which has become a popular choice among art collectors. This is particularly ideal when a collector is familiar with an artist or has worked with us in the past; they know the quality and take comfort in our 30 plus years of experience. This trust has been built over time, and we intend to care for our artists and collectors in the same manner we have from the start.” -Alyson Kinkade, co-owner and Project Manager for the National Sculptors’ Guild.
 
“We have thoroughly enjoyed working with art appreciators of all levels, but the true passion has always been in the design team approach it takes to place great public art.” – John Kinkade, Executive Director of the National Sculptors’ Guild. “Many Lovelanders may be unaware that we have a full-scale public art business, placing over 500 significant monuments across the nation. But that was how we started, and we are feeling it is time to devote ourselves to the Guild once again.”
 
This transition to less show space also allows the Kinkade’s to pursue more of their own interests. Alyson plans to spend more time on her own artwork; and John will continue to work on special projects like serving as Co-Chair for the Colorado Governors’ Art Show, as well as other philanthropic projects that combine the arts and helping community.
 
“It has been a privilege to serve the community of Loveland, Colorado, and our amazing stable of artists over the years. We look forward to continuing to do so in a different capacity.” states John.
 
“Loveland will remain our home base, and we intend to be part of the art world for a long time to come.” Alyson adds. “We are thrilled to see someone new take the space with new energy and ideas to make their mark on this special art-filled city.” The gallery and garden at 2683 N. Taft Avenue will continue to showcase art as the new owner of the property has plans to open par-a-dox fine arts this summer. You’ll see changes already taking shape.
 
John continues, “We hope people reflect fondly of their experiences at Columbine Gallery, we will remember well the dinner parties we threw for hundreds of our patrons under tents in the garden, and special events like weddings; unique exhibitions; charity fundraiser receptions; afternoon meetings with artists on the balconies, and watching the fireworks being set off across Taft Avenue. We express gratitude to all who have been a part of making this beautiful space so special to our family and artists.”
 
Now is the time to redeem any gift certificates, or “Circle of Giving” coupon codes you may be holding onto. Columbine Gallery will remain open through May 31st with hopes to find homes for the amazing artwork that is on display. Shop online: columbinegallery.com/store or stop by the gallery through May 31st.
 
Learn more about our 500+ Public Art projects here: jk-designs-inc.com/project-feed
 
**Representing some of the nation’s leading sculptors, painters and fine artisans, Columbine Gallery and the National Sculptors’ Guild have consulted private and public collectors in the placement of fine art for the interior and exterior since 1992. The National Sculptors' Guild [NSG] is an association made up of its design team and nationally recognized sculptors chosen for their outstanding artistic abilities and varied style with the primary objective to conceive and seek out monumental placements for members' work. Artist Driven, Client Minded.
 
Proudly Representing Renowned Local and National Artists:
Sculptors: Gary Alsum, Craig Campbell, Tim Cherry, Dee Clements, Darrell Davis, Jane DeDecker, Clay Enoch, Edward Fleming, Daniel Glanz, Carol Gold Estate, Denny Haskew, Mark Leichliter, Joe Norman, Leo E. Osborne, Don Rambadt, Wayne Salge, Sandy Scott, Stephen Shachtman, Michael Warrick, and C.T. Whitehouse.
 
Painters and Artisans: Carolyn Barlock, James Biggers, Amelia Caruso, George Coll, Bob Coonts, Cathy Goodale, Don Hamilton, Lu Haskew Estate, Alyson Kinkade, Gary Miller, Jean Perry, Tony Pridham, Teresa Vito, Tal Walton, and the Roy Wilce Estate.

Congratulations to NSG member Craig Campbell whose American Liberty Gold coin that he sculpted for the US Mint won an international award: "Gold Coin of the Year"!!! We love seeing Craig's work (big and small) getting recognition.

Craig Campbell sculpted the Obverse (pictured here), designed by Beth Zaiken, and the Reverse was designed by Richard Masters, sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.

Read about the Coin of the Year awards here
Order one from the US Mint here

​"The 2021 American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin is the fifth coin in the American Liberty series. The obverse (heads) features Liberty as a wild American Mustang horse, bucking off a western style saddle. It evokes the throwing off of the yoke of British rule during the American Revolution. The horse is centered on a rising sun. The reverse (tails) depicts a close-up view of an eagle with an open beak."

The family has requested we share this event with the artworld, please attend if you are able.
​John will be speaking on behalf of the National Sculptors' Guild and Columbine Gallery.  
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Celebration of Life for Carol Gold
January 28, 2023, 11 a.m. at the Pavilion in Fairfax, California
142 Bolinas Road, Fairfax CA 94930

We are so pleased to share the coverage on the philanthropic efforts of the Colorado Governor's Art Show in Loveland's Reporter-Herald. This has been a passion project for Columbine's John Kinkade since 2015; and the increased funds and awareness raised for the TEF Resiliency Fund has been a personal highlight.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022
HOMELESS HELP
Governor's Art Show nets big donation for unhoused youths
TEF's Resiliency Fund gets boost
By Will Costello
[email protected]
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Proceeds from the Governor's Art Show funded a $28,230 donation to the Thompson Education Foundation's Resiliency Fund for Unhoused Youth, a program that provides help to the students in the Thompson School District that are unhoused.

The Resiliency Fund, which has existed for around a decade, provides help to unhoused students, many of whom are underage and without parents or a legal guardian, in the form of gift cards to pay for groceries and gas, or paying for car repairs or new tires so that students can actually get to school.

"There are a whole variety of supports that other agencies can't provide," said Kim Akeley-Charron, executive director of TEF. This, she explained, is because many of the students the fund helps are both unaccompanied and under 18. The typical services that help minors in financial trouble are administered through parents or guardians, so children without them sometimes fall through the cracks.

An upcoming program operated by the Resiliency Fund will install "resource closets" in all the high schools across the district that will contain necessities like toothpaste and other hygiene items. It also helps graduating seniors afford caps and gowns for graduation ceremonies, and provides scholarships to some of those who are pursuing post-secondary education.

The Governor's Art Show, an annual tradition held in Loveland for decades, has funded the Resiliency Fund for Unhoused Youth for the last six years, said John Kinkade, board member for the Governor's Art Show and one of the main planners of the event. Prior to that, proceeds went to the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs, which jointly put on the event, and would then be spent on philanthropic causes of those organizations choosing.

Then Kinkade, who also serves on the Thompson Valley Rotary Committee that selects art scholarship recipients, encountered a young scholarship applicant who presented a portfolio that struck him. "It was really dark, really severe," he remembered. A fellow committee member asked about the nature of the student's work, and she described a series of harrowing life experiences that culminated in becoming unhoused.

Kinkade, moved, reached out to his friend, Akeley-Charron, to inquire further. "That just kind of blew me away," he said. Akeley-Charron told him that in addition to the young student Kinkade had encountered, there were hundreds more across the district who had similar experiences. He then insisted that in addition to funding the two Rotary Clubs' philanthropic efforts, one-third of the proceeds from the Governor's Art Show be earmarked for the Resiliency Fund.

The show has been donating to the fund ever since, totaling over $100,000 since 2016, Akeley-Charron said when the donation was announced. 

Kinkade, who volunteered the equivalent of six 40-hour workweeks preparing for this year's show, said the program is the primary reason he's still involved with the show. Both Kinkade and Akeley-Charron said that it was rewarding work, and that the recipients, many of whom face challenges unthinkable even to adults, are deserving. "We called it the Resiliency Fund, and that's exactly what these kids show," Akeley-Charron said. "Resiliency, every day."

All contents Copyright © 2022 Daily Reporter-Herald. All rights reserved. 

Below are some photos from past year's Governor's Art Show galas and events from our archives.

Art Appreciators, We are celebrating our 30th year of connecting people with art. Thank you for your support and making art a priority in your life. You're our kind of people!

Ready to add more to your collection? Check out what our amazing artists have created in our store.

#ColumbineGallery #FineArt #ThirtiethAnniversary #Celebrating30Years #FeedYourCreativeSpirit #LiveWithART #BuyOriginal #ShopOnline #Painting #Sculpture #HomeDecor #BeautifulSpace

We are grieving the loss of a great friend, conservationist and human being. Kim Crumbo, a former Navy SEAL and retired National Park Service ranger, has been a close friend to National Sculptors' Guild sculptor Denny Haskew since high-school, and as a result became a dear friend to many more of us in the gallery and Guild.

His disappearance in Yellowstone last month has been difficult to face. Kim’s words shared to a fellow conservationist ring true to us, and we are certain they shall serve to inspire next generations to take care of the planet as Kim always hoped.

Please read this tribute by Camilla Fox,
https://rewilding.org/honoring-kim-crumbo/

And check out the following to learn more about Kim Crumbo and his efforts with Rewilding Institute…
https://rewilding.org/kim-crumbo/

Backstory:
“In mid-September, rangers began searching for 74-year-old Kim Crumbo of Ogden and his brother, 67-year-old Mark O’Neill of Chimacum, Washington, after the pair was reported missing. Crumbo and O’Neill, National Park Service retirees, had been on a four-night backcountry trip to Shoshone Lake.

Park crews found a vacant campsite with gear on the south side of Shoshone Lake. A canoe, paddle, personal floatation device, and other personal belongings were located on the east shore of the lake. During the morning of Monday, Sept. 20, Yellowstone officials say the body of O’Neill was found along the east shore of Shoshone Lake.

On Sept. 24, rangers announced the search for Crumbo was shifting from a rescue situation to a recovery. The change came after days of searching the Shoshone Lake shoreline by boat, swept trails in the area, and searched open waters by helicopter.

Wednesday, Yellowstone rangers confirmed the National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center is using sonar equipment to detect clues in the water of where Crumbo may be. Park crews are also searching for Crumbo by foot and boat with help from the Grand Teton National Park’s interagency helicopter and dog teams from Western Montana Search Dogs. This comes after an autopsy determined O’Neill died of hypothermia.

According to rangers, search efforts for Crumbo will continue for the next several days as conditions warrant. The incident remains under investigation. If you were in the Shoshone Lake area between Sept. 12-19 and have any information that could help investigators piece together what happened, you are asked to contact Yellowstone rangers at 307-344-2428 or [email protected]”

#kimcrumbo #rewilding #rewildinginstitute #projectcoyote #wildlandsnetwork #wildarizona #yellowstonenationalpark #conservationist

 John will receive his 2nd vaccine shot next week, so we are planning to reopen the gallery with limited regular hours beginning in March. Details of those hours will be announced soon.

Gallery visitors must continue to follow CDC guidelines by wearing masks, social distancing and keeping groups to a minimum. Appointments outside regular hours and on weekends are still available.

We continue to encourage online purchases through the secure checkout on our store when at all possible.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon. Thank you for appreciating art and supporting our artists.

​Stay Healthy.

The National Sculptors' Guild Fellows have elected Craig Campbell as an Associate Member, So we have new art to show and sell! His work is expressive and covers the gamut of subjects from strong and serious, to playful and imaginative; figurative or wildlife. We can't wait to see what new creations come from his studio. Shop his artwork online

Craig Campbell began sculpting more than 25 years ago and received his BFA in sculpture  from Wichita State University. To further his  goal to create figurative and representational  work, he began a rigorous program of self-study in the areas of human and animal anatomy,  movement, character, and proportion. He has created work for both commercial clients and fine art galleries, and his work has been commissioned by zoos and theme companies, toy companies, and the film industry, including  work for The Hobbit, Elysium and Mad Max. He  was a featured artist in the HISTORY channel’s  “Monument Guys” TV series. ​ learn more about Craig

To all our Healthcare Professionals, THANK YOU for taking great care of us. We are forever grateful for all you do.

NSG Fellow Jane DeDecker has a number of sculptures that depict our compassionate healers, this post shows just a few. The meaning of these pieces grows deeper lately as we rely on the brave men and women who are truly giving their all.

#ThankYouHealthcareWorkers #JaneDeDecker #HealingTouch #PatientConcerns #DocElliot #CanYouFixThis #Bronze #Sculpture #ArtCares #StayHome #SaveLives #MedicalProfessionTribute #Doctors #Nurses #Housekeeping #ElderCare #KeepingUsSafe #DoYourPart