Arizona artist Bill Nebeker named best in show at AQHA art show in Amarillo
The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) named Bill Nebeker its 2023 Steeldust Award winner at its 15th annual Art Show and Sale Fundraiser opening reception Aug. 12 at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum in Amarillo.
The Steeldust Award is given annually to the artwork deemed best in show by judges. Winning best in show this year was Nebeker’s bronze sculpture “Waltzing across Texas.” Nebeker has sculpted for more than 50 years, beginning in 1964. From Prescott, Arizona, Nebeker has been a member of the Cowboy Artists of America since 1978, which makes him its longest-active member.
His artwork is displayed in the Phoenix Art Museum, the Cheyanne Old West Museum, the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, Texas, and many other museums throughout the West.
He said the key to his success in art has been a long journey of refining his skills.
“It has been a long process; I did not set my goals too high, just wanting to make my next piece better than my previous piece,” Nebeker said. “I was inspired to become a sculptor at one one-man art show with my wife featuring sculpted art. The sculptures just drew me in. I wanted to know how you do that."
Nebeker said that initially, he bought the wrong type of clay to start, which made it quite a struggle to work with. Getting a job with a bronze foundry helped him learn the skills and tools necessary to become proficient enough to cast.
“I slowly started from there and never thought I would ever get anywhere with it, but I just loved doing it,” Nebeker added.
He calls his art style finished realism, with a focus on cowboy and Native American depictions in his art. Nebeker said he focused on depictions of Native Americans from the Arizona region. Growing up in ranch country, working ranches and doing rodeos gave Nebeker much inspiration for his work.
Nebeker described his winning work “Waltzing Across Texas” as the depiction of the choreographed dance that a rider and horse must share while being in time with each other to complete the task at hand.
Nikki Silva, the community outreach manager for the museum, spoke about the art show and what the proceeds go toward. More than 60 artists submitted Western-style artwork depicted in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pencil, bronze, charcoal, and other media.
“Thirty percent of the proceeds go to the foundation to help with educational, equine and other programs that it supports,” Silva said. “The items that were not purchased tonight will go on sale through the duration of the show, which ends Oct. 14. People interested in purchasing these art pieces can do so online or at the museum.”
Silva said that she was happy with the crowd that turned out to support the AQHA and museum for this event.
“I am excited by the support that we have received from the Panhandle community, with the money going to a good cause,” Silva added.
Two artists who had their work on display at the show, Kathryn Merril and Rachel Brownlee, spoke about the inspiration for their works.
Merril, an Oklahoma artist who describes herself as a realism artist with colored pencils, oil and graphite, said that she does strictly Western art depicting horses and people working on the ranch.
“I grew up on my grandparents' ranch in Montana and showed quarter horses with many friends in the ranching world,” Merril said. “I have been extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to ride at many ranches that have given me a lot of good material to draw inspiration from."
Merril said that she feels the horse is so widely depicted in art due to its majestic nature.
“I think there has been a love affair with horses since Bible times,” Merril said. “They are majestic, powerful and graceful. You will love horses if you have any part of the Western heritage in your blood. I think horses are also incredibly challenging to depict artistically, which is also an inspiration for artists."
Brownlee, a Nebraska artist, does photorealistic charcoal drawings that portray her neighborhood and features many Western themes such as cowboys.
“I am a fourth-generation Swiss immigrant whose family settled on the land we live on,” Brownlee said. “Everybody in my family has ranched on the land. I grew up riding horses every single day. I broke horses; horses broke me. I draw everything I know.”
The association of horses with freedom for many, Brownlee says, is a lot of fascination with the vast number of depictions of horses in art. She said this sense of freedom and her background had inspired her to have horses figure so prominently in her art.
“For the entire world, horses mean freedom; they have meant that since the beginning of time. As soon as man found a horse, that meant freedom,” Brownlee said. “With the settling of the west, they were so important. We would not be standing here today if it were not for horses. In my community, horses are crucial because, in the area that we live in, it would be difficult to ranch or even get your cattle without a horse.”
For more information on the American Quarter Horse Museum and Hall of Fame, you can visit its location at 2601 East Interstate Drive in Amarillo or go to its website at https://www.aqha.com/museum-overview .
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: American Quarter Horse Association gives Nebeker art Steeldust Award
