Lot 3071
Dave McGary (American, 1958-2013), Blessing of the Bear, Kicking Bear (Bust)
Lot Details & Additional Photographs
25 x 22 x 10 in.
Private Collection, Williamsburg, Virginia
Purchased from Dave McGary Studios via Claggett Rey Gallery, Vail Colorado
McGary grew up in Cody, Wyoming and is known for his realistic bronze Native American figural sculpture. In the 1970s he earned a grant to study bronze making with western sculptor Harry Jackson (American, 1924-2011) in Italy, with emphasis on casting techniques and Renaissance marble carving. After gaining further foundry experience working in New Mexico for several years, he became highly interested in Native American culture through his friendship with Sioux Indian families in South Dakota. McGary has won numerous awards for his works, including the Honorary Lifetime Alumni Award from Eastern New Mexico University. He has completed several large-scale public bronze monuments. In 1995, his monumental 225-foot-long bronze equine sculpture, Free Spirits at Noisy Water, was installed at Hubbard Museum of the American West in Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico. McGary's work is included in various private collections, and is highly regarded not just for its intricacy and technical facility in capturing detail, but also for honoring the spirit of Native American culture. His sculptures occupy places of honor in an array of prestigious settings, including the Smithsonian Museum, the U.S. Capitol National Statuary Hall, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, the Wyoming State Capital, the Buffalo Bill Historical Museum, the Gene Autry Museum, Concordia University and many more.
Good condition; two small areas of patina wear to the bear's right ear and head; a few minor marks to the base.
