The morning sun illuminates the patina of 鈥淲hite Deer of Autumn,鈥 a sculpture by Denny Haskew, against Gurley Hall鈥檚 shaded adobe walls in the outdoor courtyard at UNMGallup campus on July 18, 2024.
New public art piece promotes harmony at UNMGallup
Categories: Students Faculty Staff Community
"White Deer of Autumn" sculpture by Denny Haskew adorns branch campus' outdoor courtyard
By Richard Reyes, Friday, September 6, 2024
GALLUP, N.M. 鈥 UNMGallup installed a new statue on campus July 17, 2024, as part of the New Mexico Arts program Art in Public Places.
鈥淲hite Deer of Autumn,鈥 by Denny Haskew, is a 6-foot-tall bronze sculpture of a cloaked female figure, which is finished with a patina that the artist developed to make it look like it was carved from stone. The sculpture stands in a raised landscape bed in the outdoor courtyard between Gurley Hall and Calvin Hall Center.
鈥淚 hope students, educators, and campus visitors will see this sculpture as a symbol of harmony and bring this back into their workspace, classrooms, and lives,鈥 UNMGallup art instructor Kristi Wilson said.
Wilson headed the selection committee that chose the sculpture, with support from fellow UNMGallup art instructors Dana Aldis and Cortney Yellow-Horse Metzger along with public relations specialist Richard Reyes.
The morning sun illuminates the face of 鈥淲hite Deer of Autumn,鈥 a sculpture by Denny Haskew, while creating stark shadows on the adobe walls behind it in the outdoor courtyard at UNMGallup campus on July 18, 2024.
Claude Smith, from , served as the main coordinator for this project. John and Alyson Kinkade provided structural engineering and safe delivery of the sculpture from in Colorado. UNMGallup Physical Plant employees and Maintenance Supervisor Ozzy Guerrero carefully completed the final installation of the statue on campus.
鈥淚t was gratifying to work with such an amazing team,鈥 Wilson said.
About the sculpture
The sculpture faces to the east and watches the sunrise every morning. It is nestled among an exterior corner of Gurley Hall, which provides a complementary backdrop to the artwork鈥檚 finish.
鈥'White Deer of Autumn鈥 looks at home at UNMGallup,鈥 Alyson Kinkade, of JK Designs, Inc., and the National Sculptors鈥 Guild, said. 鈥淒enny's trademark patina against the rich adobe walls and clear New Mexico blue sky is just dynamic. Our team truly enjoyed working with everyone there. We hope the students and staff are enjoying the new sculpture on their campus.鈥
The sculpture figure wears a cloak that appears to sway in the wind. Her stance and expression are meant to give the viewer a sense of strength and resolve.
鈥淚 was experimenting with planes in the design of my sculptures when I created 鈥榃hite Deer of Autumn,鈥欌 Haskew said. 鈥淭he layers of her headdress and clothing are abstract lines that complement the woman鈥檚 quiet yet seeing spirituality. At the time, I was looking for the truth, and I remember a woman in an E.S. Curtis photograph who stood silently, hidden in the forest, listening.鈥
The back of 鈥淲hite Deer of Autumn,鈥 a sculpture by Denny Haskew, stands out in the outdoor courtyard between Gurley Hall and Calvin Hall Center on UNMGallup campus on July 18, 2024.
The title of the sculpture was inspired by excerpts from the book 鈥淲isdomkeepers: Meetings with Native American Spiritual Elders鈥 by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden. The collection of stories and poems by Native American spiritual elders includes the following quote by the book鈥檚 editor, named White Deer of Autumn:
鈥淩eading the word of the Wisdomkeepers, we must understand that these terms 鈥 God, Creator, and Great Spirit 鈥 have been used to convey the concept that all things are interrelated and an equal part of the whole: that we are like drops of rain which will one day return to the ocean; that we are like candles lit by the fire of the sun, forever a part of it.鈥
Haskew also drew inspiration from a poem entitled, 鈥淐onsciousness,鈥 by Chief Oren Lyons, which is also featured in "Wisdomkeepers.鈥
A physical copy of 鈥淲isdomkeepers鈥 is available at UNMGallup's Zollinger Library.
About the artist
The statue at UNMGallup is one of a 15-piece limited edition collection, which is complete and sold out.
The composition is part of major collections throughout the United States and has received multiple accolades, including 鈥淔irst Place Award鈥 from the Eiteljorg Museum in 1998. The maquette of 鈥淲hite Deer of Autumn鈥 was featured on the July 1997 cover of Southwest Art Magazine.
Haskew currently resides in Loveland, Colorado, and he is a charter member of the National Sculptor鈥檚 Guild. He has designed and placed more than 50 monumental public sculpture placements since 1992.
鈥淲hite Deer of Autumn,鈥 a sculpture by Denny Haskew, stands in a raised landscape bed in the outdoor courtyard at UNMGallup campus on July 18, 2024.
"The strength of my work ascends from the spirit of the people portrayed 鈥 Native Americans, Mayans, friends, children, people of the Great Plains and West,鈥 Haskew said. 鈥淭his same spirit connects each of us with the harmony of nature and one's relationship to another."
Art in Public Places
鈥淲hite Deer of Autumn鈥 was brought to the UNMGallup campus through the program
Since its inception, the Art in Public Places program has placed more than 2,500 works of art in all of New Mexico鈥檚 33 counties. The goal of the program is to reflect the diversity of the arts in New Mexico, the Southwest, and the nation while building a dynamic public art collection for the State of New Mexico.
The program was established in 1986 through the Art in Public Places Act. The act declares that a portion of all state appropriations for capital expenditures be set aside for the acquisition or commissioning of works of art to be used in, upon, or around public buildings.
鈥淭he New Mexico Arts in Public Places Program is a unique and positive opportunity that provides access from a diverse selection of artists that help enrich all of New Mexico,鈥 Wilson said.
The UNMGallup campus features several works of art thanks to the Art in Public Places program, including sculptures, tapestries, paintings, prints and installations by renowned artists such as Hung Liu, Tom Waldron, Nocona Burgess, Patrick Marold and more.
鈥淲hite Deer of Autumn,鈥 a sculpture by Denny Haskew, stands out among the green landscaping in the outdoor courtyard behind Gurley Hall on UNMGallup campus on July 18, 2024.
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