Women artists focusing on Western subject matter have forged their own paths, showing the spirit of the past and present in their work. In the new exhibition Women of the West: Inspirations from History, Strengthening Today, June 4 to 30 at Mountain Trails Gallery in Sedona, Arizona, an array of works honoring these artists will be on view. Included will be pieces from Vicki Catapano, Marcia Molnar, Betty Carr, Linda Glover Gooch, Susan Kliewer, Deborah Copenhaver Fellows and Lisa Danielle, to name a few.
Linda Glover Gooch, Sundown, oil, 16 x 20"
“Mountain Trails Gallery has been a destination for American Western fine art for more than 30 years, and many of our revered and collected artists over the years just happen to be women,” says Julie R. Williams, gallery director. “From ranching to rodeo competitions, from story-telling historical themes to signature styles of plein air and scenes from the West, these artists continue to receive top awards as they sculpt and paint about what they know best. This show is an opportunity to honor these outstanding creative spirits and to shine a light on what it means to be a woman of the West.”
Susan Kliewer, Canyon Memories, bronze, 12 x 8 x 5"
Gooch’s painting Sundown was inspired by a sunset she saw in Arizona where she resides. The work is filled with the vibrant colors that typically light up the sky as night falls. “The beautiful pastel colors of the sky set the stage for a deep rich foreground while the mood of the sky lent itself to the addition of a quiet stream pulling the pastel tones into the foreground,” she says. “I’m always inspired by the Western skies.”
Deborah Copenhaver Fellows, The Wind Her Only Guide For Youth Was in the Saddle, bronze, 26 x 9 x 140"
In her sculpture Canyon Memories, Kliewer pays tribute to the Navajo people who endured and showed great strength and resilience. “I feel the sad history when visiting beautiful Canyon de Chelly, remembering the peach orchards before the Navajo people were relocated to Bosque Redondo,” she says. “The trees were cut down, the sheep slaughtered and the people forced to make the long walk. After four years the remaining Navajos were allowed to return home to their beloved Canyon.”
Lisa Danielle, Honoring the Matriarchs – Pottery Treasures, acrylic, 36 x 12"
Danielle’s painting Honoring the Matriarchs: Pottery Treasures is a tribute to the Native American artists who have a longstanding tradition of pottery. Their beautiful vessels inspired and continued the legacies of other artists. “Fortunate to have made art my sole livelihood, I feel a kinship with those Native women of the Southwest who have done the same, transforming so many lives in the process,” says Danielle. “Each in her own way over the last century, Old Lady Nampeyo, Maria Martinez and Lucy Lewis, matriarchs of pottery making—turned craft into art, raising standards of excellence and standards of living, revitalizing their communities. At Hopi, San Ildefonso and Acoma, respectively, each then generously shared her skills with countless others, who continue their legacies today. And now, with my painting of three of their finest pieces in a collector’s showcase, Honoring the Matriarchs: Pottery Treasures, I pay tribute to their gift of commitment to creativity and community with my own.” —
Upcoming Show
Up to 25 works
June 4-30, 2021
Mountain Trails Gallery
336 SR 179, Suite A201, Sedona, AZ 86336
(928) 282-3225, www.mountaintrailssedona.com
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