Gary Alsum has been quickly recognized for his ability to capture the dynamics of children at play and athletes in motion. “These are my favorite subjects because of the passion for life that they demonstrate,” Gary says. “It is a constant challenge to capture these qualities in bronze and pass that on to the viewer. When developing each new sculpture my primary concern is it’s artistic integrity. I continually strive for work that merits recognition on the basics of its aesthetic quality alone, regardless of subject matter.”

Most of Gary’s recent work has been commissioned and he feels this has resulted in his best work. Working with someone else’s concepts has pushed his creativity beyond its normal limits. “To take an idea I wouldn’t normally pursue and then create a piece I am excited about is particularly satisfying,” he explains.

His inspiration comes form memories of his own childhood and from observing his own children and their friends as they play and interact with each other.

Born in Northern Wisconsin on August 28, 1942, Gerald Balciar had an early interest in art beginning back in grade school. His are is noted for its readily identifiable artistic style which is grounded in an in-depth knowledge of animals. For reference he works from his extensive library of wildlife material which includes photos, magazine clippings, books, and numerous study casts and measurements. He also uses live models as an invaluable aid in his sculptures and receives excellent cooperation from zoologists and wildlife organizations.

Balciar is involved in the creative process of bronze making from the beginning to the end. He works his original sculpture in wax or clay and then personally makes his own molds and chases his own waxes. Once the bronze is cast at the foundry, he does the welding and metal chasing and then applies the patina and finishing touches to each bronze.

While doing an 18’ bronze elk in 1982, he devised a point up system that revolutionized the traditional enlargement process. His largest bronze sculpture to date is 20’ bronze moose, Centennial, which was installed in Mooseheart, Illinois, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Loyal Order of the Moose in 1988. His largest marble carving is an 18’, 16,000 lb. cougar, Canyon Princess, which was installed at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Center in Oklahoma City in June, 1995.

He is fellow of the National Sculpture Society and a member of the Society of Animal Artists, Allied Artist of America and Northwest Rendezvous Group. He has won several awards, and is listed in Who’s Who in American Art, Who’ Who in the West and the Dictionary of American Sculptors. He has taught at the Prix de West Artists’ Workshop, Scottsdale Artists School and Art Students League of Denver, and Loveland Academy of Fine Arts.

Balciar’s most prestigious award is the Prix de West received in 1985 from the National Academy of Western Art at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Center in Oklahoma City for his marble, River Companions.

Gerald’s sculptures and in numerous corporate and private collections throughout the world.

Cloyd Barnes’ Arkansas childhood offered the solitude so important to the artist. Numerous contented hours were spent with various woods and a sharp pocket knife. His first serious sculptures however, were created after graduation from Tulsa University in 1968 with a B.S. degree in Physics. At that time, he moved to southern New Mexico were he developed an increased interest Western History and wildlife and a desire to recreate it in art. In 1977 the transition was made from wood to wax and clay. His first bronze was cast in 1977, the precursor to a continuous flow of limited editions.

Cloyd moved to Denver in 1986 and took early retirement from Martin Marietta Denver Aerospace after a long career in management/engineering, including employment with General Dynamics and Dynalectron Corporation. The move to Denver provided access to workshop studies with the other artists including Sandy Scott, Gerald Balciar, and Daniel Ostermiller, and several years with the Art Students League of Denver. It also afforded close proximity to some of the best art casting foundries in the country. Cloyd continues to pursue sculpting full time from his studio in Colorado.

His wildlife and Western sculptures have won numerous awards including a sculpture of a cougar, “Take Five”, which won the Helen G. Oehler Memorial award from the American Artist’s Professional League in NYC. It was also shown at the annual juried exhibition of the Audubon Artists and the National Academy of Design in NYC. His elk sculpture, “Wilderness Echoes”, earned the VIU/ Grumbacher Gold Medallion Achievement Award in NYC.

Barnes sculptures range from desktop size to monumental. His latest monumental works include a seven foot high running buffalo which stands at the clubhouse entrance of Buffalo Run Golf Course, Adams County, CO. In June 1999 the “Prospector”, a nine foot high gold miner and pack burro was dedicated in Colorado Springs, CO at the entrance to Old Colorado City.

Barnes sculpture sales at auction have supported North American Elk and Bighorn Sheep habitat efforts; and Public Broadcasting on TV Channel 6 Rocky Mountain PBS. He shows his work at the annual Southeastern Wildlife Show in Charleston, SC and the Pacific Rim Wildlife Show in Seattle, WA. Mr. Barnes is also represented by the Knox Galleries in Beaver Creek and Denver, CO, Harbor Springs, MI and Naples, FL.

A Colorado native, Jim Budish, studied sculpture at the Art Students League of Denver and The Loveland Academy of Fine Arts. He as also participated in International Sculpture Center workshops at the Art Institute of Chicago.

He began his artistic career sculpting representational, figurative works. He studied with and in the tradition of many of the highly regarded sculptors using the lost wax casting process at foundries in Colorado. In the maquette size, he sculpts exclusively in clay. However on life and monumental size works he prefers to sculpt in low density foam with a hot knife, applying clay to the surface after the base form is made. He realized in time however, that it was neither his desire nor ambition to sculpt “photographs” in bronze. Rather, he felt he wanted his own new and unique direction in representing the human form and the forms of a multitude of special animal creatures. His art explores the unique attitude, emotion and personality of each, while attempting to capture the “joie de vivre” that he believes is lurking somewhere inside all of us.

In 2002, 2003 and 2004 Budish’s work was awarded Best of Show, Best of Sculpture or 2nd Place Sculpture on 14 separate occasions at nationally recognized shows. In 2003 “Chauncy”, a rabbit in monumental size, was selected by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council for purchase and permanent installation in the Benson Sculpture Park in Loveland, CO.

The following year, 2004, Jim Budish was the top selling artist at the Sculpture in the Park show in Loveland, CO.Jim Budish’s sculpture can be found in numerous public and private collections throughout the world, a list of which will be provided on request. Public placements of monumental work include: Arizona- Carefree, Fountain Hills, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona and Tucson; California- Bermuda Dunes, Beverly Hills, La Jolla, La Quinta, Mill Valley, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, San Francisco, Sausalito, Sonoma, Tiburon and Walnut Creek; Colorado- Edwards, Evergreen, Golden, Littleton, Loveland and Vail; Florida- Naples and Sanibel Island; Kentucky- Louisville; Idaho- Sun Valley; Illinois- Aurora, Chicago, Deerfield, Highland Park and South Elgin; Nebraska- Davey and Lincoln; New Mexico- Santa Fe; New York- New York City and Syracuse; Pennsylvania- Mechanicsburg; Texas- Dallas; Washington- Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands and suburban Seattle. Internationally- Brussels Belgium, Hong Kong and Shanghai PRC, London England, and Zurich Switzerland.

Bobbie Carlyle could be called the quintessence of an artist of our age, crossing two millenniums. Bobbie's determination and love for art is seen by the mere fact that Bobbie has completed her degree in Fine Arts from Brigham Young University while raising seven children. She lives life to the fullest, turning every situation into a learning situation and something positive. Bobbie obtains her ideas and inspiration from her personal experiences in life, as well as her seven children and three grand children. Bobbie's inner strength, depth and intelligence are all reflected in her artwork. She has studied under many of the notable artists of today and also takes influence from Solon and Gutzon Borglulm, Daniel Chester French and Michaelangelo.

• Allied Artists of America, NY, NY
• Art on the Corner, Grand Junction, Co.
• Battle Mountain Trading Post, Vail and Minturn, Co.
• Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale, Cody, Wyo.
• Brigham Young University, Provo, Ut.
• Brookgreen Sculpture Gardens Gallery, Murriell’s Inlet, S.C.
• City of Palm Desert, Palm Desert, Ca.
• Danada Sculpture Show, Wheaton, Ill.
• Deselms Fine Art, Cheyenne, Wyo.
• El Prado Gallery, Sedona, Ariz, Santa Fe, N.M.
• Group Installation Show, Grand Junction, Co.
• Indianapolis Art Museum, Indianapolis, Ind.
• Knox Gallery, Denver, Vail and Beaver Creek, Co.
• La Quinta Sculpture Garden, La Quinta, Ca.
• Lincoln Center, Ft. Collins, Co.
• LDS International Art Exhibition, Salt Lake City, Ut.
• Loveland Sculpture Show, Loveland, Co.
• Oscar Howe Museum, Mitchell, S.D.
• North American Sculpture Exhibition, Golden, Co.
• Passionate Eye Gallery, Santa Fe, N.M.
• Parade of Homes, Denver, Co.
• Redstone Art Center, Redstone, Co.
• Reiss Gallery, Denver, Co.
• Rotary Art Show, Loveland, Co.
• Saks Gallery, Denver, Co.
• San Luis, Co.
• Solar Energy Research Institute, Golden, Co. (NREL)
• Studio of Long Grove, Long Grove, Ill.
• The A Gallery, Palm Desert, Ca.
• Town of Castle Rock, Co.
• Town of Parker, Co.
• University of Denver, Denver, Co.
• American Academy of Women Artists (AAWA)
• Western Spirit Art Show, Cheyenne, Wyo. Best of Show
• Woman’s Crisis Center of Douglas Country Art Show and Sale, Douglas Co., Co.
• Amberex Corporation, Dallas, Tx.
• California Institute of Technology, Pasada, Ca.
• City of Batavia, Ill.
• Park Central Developments, Orlando, Fla.
• Pocatello, Idaho
• Ponderosa High School, Parker, Co.
• Private Collection, ATT Corporate Exec., Seoul, Korea
• Private Sculpture Garden, Denver, Co.
• Private Sculpture Garden, Mexico
• Safecard, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyo.
• Thornton School District, Thornton, Co.
• U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia