Friends in Art

After going to shows and meeting artists, this Denver collector became enamored in the stories and people within Western Art.

By John O’Hern | Photography by Francis Smith

The camaraderie among artists, gallerists and collectors of Western American art is sincere, egalitarian and supportive. Howard Chambers has reveled in the phenomenon for more than 40 years of collecting, counting many among his closest friends.

He began collecting Russian art from the Sloane Gallery in Denver, getting to know the artists when they came to visit. “I was drawn to Russian art because the color, design and everything came together,” he explains. He then moved on to impressionism and European and, for a while, dabbled in Israeli art. “My tastes are eclectic,” he admits.On the left wall is Gold Canyon Passage, 1997, oil, by Richard D. Thomas (1939-2019). The large painting on the facing wall is Martin Grelle’s Last of the Pemmican, 2005, oil. To the left of it is They Call Me Jeb, 2001, oil, by Paul Calle (1928-2010). In the foreground is a Cheyenne beaded vest and at the opposite end of the sofa is Corn Maiden in Utah alabaster by Doug Hyde (Assiniboine/Nez Perce/Chippewa).

“I was born in Iowa and went to a one-room school,” he explains. “We didn’t have running water until I was 11. Later, as a landscaper, I didn’t have much money and would often trade out my work for art. I also worked out deals to pay for things over time. Almost every piece in my collection is by a friend.”Two bronze sculptures by Richard Greeves, Pawnee on the left and Cheyenne Man on the right, are on the table beneath Puerto Vallarta (Market Scene), oil, by Ray Swanson (1937-2004). On the adjacent wall is Bill Acheff’s Pipe Bag, 2001, oil, next to a Sioux beaded pipe bag. In the hallway is Bill Acheff’s Playing to the Buffalo Skull, 2007, oil. In the foreground is a Cheyenne beaded vest.

Tom Browning’s The Softer Side, 2016, oil, hangs above Sisters, bronze, by Doug Hyde (Assiniboine/Nez Perce/Chippewa) and an antique woven basket.

Today, the collection in his Denver-area home is rich with Western paintings and sculpture and Native American artifacts, primarily Plains Indian beadwork that he began collecting 15 years ago. “I’ve always been attracted to Native beadwork,” he says. “It amazes me how they were able to be so patient to do large pieces. I think Bill Acheff is the best painter of Native beadwork. I have nine of his paintings and many of them are of artifacts from my collection. The Sioux mother and daughter beaded dresses are in Ray Swanson’s Mother’s Child, the large painting in the living room.”High Mountain Camp, 1989, oil, by Earl Biss (1947-1998) hangs next to an Acoma pot and a beaded bag. The bronze on the table is 2 Buffalo by Sherry Sander. Next to the archway are, top to bottom, Bill Acheff’s Red Chilis & Pitcher, 1997, oil; Cowboy with Binoculars, 1998, watercolor, by James Bama (1926-2022); and Gordon Snidow’s Three Cowboys on Horses, 1983, gouache. To the right of the arch are an Arapaho beaded saddle bag and Northern Plains beaded leggings. Hanging above them is George Hallmark’s Tequila, 2014, oil.

The paintings above the sofa are, left to right, Daniel Smith’s oil Frozen Footfall; Bad Guys in White Dusters, oil, by Oleg Stavrowsky (1927-2020); and David Mann’s oil Indian Chief. Two marble sculptures by Gerald Balciar flank the sofa: Grizzly Pride and Mountain Lion. On the coffee table is Marshall II, bronze, by Harry Jackson (1924-2011); an antique basket and pot; and child’s beaded moccasins. On the wall to the right is a bonnet case hanging above a pipe with a standing rack and Catlinite bowl. On the right is Mehl Lawson’s bronze Diamonds and Denim. In the foreground on the far right is a Cheyenne beaded vest.His first Western piece was a print by Bev Doolittle. He started going to shows of Western art from the Salmagundi Club in New York to the Masters of the American West exhibition at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, with regular visits to the Denver Art Museum. He describes meeting Ray Swanson and John Moyers and finding them to be “good people in my book.” When asked what “good people” means, he replied, “They’re honest, not showy. They’re down to earth.” Chambers is a down-to-earth man, himself, deeply cherishing the friendships he has developed over his years of collecting.

“I used to crawl along the floor in Ray Swanson’s studio looking at the paintings he had leaning against the wall. He was my best friend.”The big painting above the sofa is Mother’s Child, 2001, oil, by Ray Swanson (1937-2004), next to Heading to Town, 1999, oil by Frank McCarthy (1924-2002), on top and Little Wolf, 1999, oil, by Roy Andersen (1930-2019), on the bottom. A Northern Plains roach is to the left of the sofa. Through the doorways in the bedroom is Lady with Fan, 1984, oil by Howard Rogers. To the right of the doorway is Bill Acheff’s Ceremonial Moccasins, 2008, hanging next to a fully beaded child’s ceremonial moccasins, pre-1900. To the right of the door is Evening in Quebec, 1998, oil, by G. Harvey (1933-2017), and beneath it is John Coleman’s Keokuk, Sac and Fox Chief, 2004, bronze. Martin Grelle’s Following Old Ways, 2013, acrylic, hangs above the fireplace. The two woven pots on the hearth are pre-1900.He often purchases works through galleries and credits a number of them for their support and friendship, among them Michael and Katherine Saks of Saks Galleries, Bill Rey at Claggett/Rey, Maryvonne Leshe at Trailside Galleries, and Brad and Jinger Richardson of Legacy Gallery.

He also purchases directly from the artists if he hasn’t seen them first at a gallery, and attends shows and auctions including Brian Lebel’s auction of museum deaccessions.The paintings are, left to right, Gary Niblett’s Quiet Encampment, 1987, oil; Bill Acheff’s Moccasin Mender, 2004, oil; and John Moyers’ The Maximillian Serape, 2007, oil. Between the Acheff and the Moyers is an Arapaho Strike a Lite bag. On the table are, left to right, men’s beaded moccasins with leggings, Tim Shinabarger’s Buffalo, bronze and Sioux men’s beaded moccasins, 1890. On the pedestal is John Coleman’s Glories Past, 2009, bronze. On the bottom shelf are Stoney beaded moccasins.

The collector stands next to Gordon Snidow’s Don’t Mess with Me, gouache, flanked by three bronze sculptures by Richard Greeves: Yankton Sioux Grass Dancers, Hidatsa and Black Frog.

In addition to meeting the artists and dealers, he got to know his fellow collectors such as Tuffy Holland and Steve Zimmerman. “Art was a passion for them and for me,” he explains. “Art was our lives.” Zimmerman often acknowledged that collecting is not just a hobby.

His collection continues to be part of his life, something to live with and enjoy. His enjoyment even extends to dental hygiene.
“I get up in the morning and walk around looking at the art, brushing my teeth.”

A buffalo head hangs above a Coca-Cola chest in his collection. The buffalo was once part of a menagerie of buffalo, 225 hogs and 25 cattle he used to keep on his 2½-acre in-town property.Sioux mother and daughter beaded dresses are displayed beneath Bill Anton’s Lonesome Camp, 2001 oil; Martin Grelle’s Winter Warriors, 2004, acrylic; and Flag Bearer, 1983, painted bronze, by Harry Jackson (1924-2011).

Hanging in the nicho is a Bill Acheff’s Stepping Back in Time, 2011, oil, above a fine line Acoma pot, quilled and beaded child’s moccasins, an 1850 hide scraper and beaded men’s moccasins.

The vignette of the buffalo head and cooler also includes a painting of an Indian scout by Frank McCarthy and John Coleman’s bronze, The Blessing, along with pre-1900 Native American artifacts. It is a simple example of Chambers’ thoughtful and artful installation of his eclectic collection.

He enjoys showing his collection to visitors and relating stories of his friendship with the artists, the circumstances of his acquiring the work and, often, the meals, drinks and conversations that they shared at the time.

As for his own experience of living with the collection, he says, “It’s a fulfilling pleasure to have this stuff around.” —