is the title as well as the theme of the new exhibition, which features paintings from the private collection of the Englehart Family Trust. Curated by daughter Sharon Englehart of Mancos, a painter in her own right, the show focuses on a recurring pattern in her father’s work.
According to Sharon, “This collection is about spaces defined by horizons. My father loved to play with the visual tension between sky and earth. The infinite quality of the horizon, and the space defined by it, creates calmness. But sometimes a foreboding foreground—forms such as large arches, canyons, and curves— creates uncertainty. To me, the paintings are visual encouragements to move forward in spite of our fears.”
The show represents a variety of styles adopted by Englehart during his long career. He is best-known for his huge, luminous landscape paintings in vivid colors that evoke the inner spirit of the Four Corners and the Colorado Plateau. The paintings offer new insight into Englehart the man.
Stanton Englehart grew up in Lewis, Colorado, about 10 miles northwest of Dolores. After earning his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Colorado, he returned to the Four Corners to live and paint. He founded the art department at Fort Lewis College in Durango, and retired in 1991 after 30 years on the faculty.
In addition to his art and teaching, Englehart was a dedicated fly-fisherman who also bicycled thousands of miles through western Colorado. "He really loved being alive," says Jules Masterjohn, author of a book on Englehart. "He was an athlete, a citizen, a teacher, a learner, a fisherman— a Renaissance man. He really was an example of someone who was all there."
An exhibit opening celebration will take place at the Anasazi Heritage Center on Sunday, December 6 from 1:00 to 3:00. Art-lovers are invited and encouraged to attend. The book Stanton Englehart: A Life on Canvas is available in the museum’s gift shop. It features many color images and includes a DVD about the artist.
