White Deer of Autumn selected by University of New Mexico

Update 7/17/2024: We've installed Denny Haskew's "White Deer of Autumn" at Gurley Hall on the UNM-Gallup campus. 'White Deer of Autumn' looks at home at UNM-Gallup, Denny's trademark patina against the rich adobe walls and clear New Mexico blue sky is just dynamic. Our team truly enjoyed working with everyone throughout this NMarts acquisition for the State of New Mexico's permanent collection. We hope the students and staff are enjoying the new sculpture on their campus. 

Consciousness
​I do not see a delegation for the Four Footed.
I see no seat for the Eagles.
We forget and we consider ourselves superior.
But we are, after all, a mere part of Creation.
And we must consider to understand where we are.
And we stand somewhere between the mountain
        and the Ant.
Somewhere and only there as part and parcel
        of the Creation.
                                         – Oren Lyons Oneida Chief
Address to Non-Governmental Organizations of United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, 1977 and included in the book 'Wisdom Keepers' by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden

“I was experimenting with planes in the design of my sculptures when I created White Deer of Autumn. The layers of her headdress and clothing are abstract lines that complement the woman's 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."

I chose the title from a book called 'Wisdom Keepers' by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden (1990 Beyond Words Publishing, Inc., Hillsboro, OR).  The collection of stories and poems by Native American spiritual elders include the following quote by a person named White Deer of Autumn:  ". . . 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.' Another poem from the book that inspired me is Consciousness by Chief Oren Lyons, shown above..."  -DH​

​Special thanks to Corry with Better Built Construction Services in San Rafael, for pouring the footing and assisting with the installation, and to the UNM-Gallup Faculty and Staff for all their great input helping to make this a successful placement for everyone involved. 

---

White Deer of Autumn is a bronze sculpture finished in the artist's signature patina that Denny developed making the figure appear to have been carved from stone. A standing cloaked female figure appears to be facing into the wind as a portion of the cloth on her right side pulls away in a soft curve front to back. Strong planes make up the cloth that the figure is enrobed in. Her stance and expression provide the viewer with a sense of strength and resolve.

---

4/26/2024: New Mexico Arts assisted the University of New Mexico in  Gallup in selecting Denny Haskew's "White Deer of Autumn" from the department's Art in Public Places Purchase initiative. The 6-foot tall bronze sculpture will be added to the University's campus at Gurley Hall this summer.

The sculpture's stone-like patina developed by Denny will be gorgeous against the school's adobe walls. The Guild looks forward to sharing the installation images and more about the artwork.

Selected site for the sculpture will be on this elevated planter between the two junipers.

White Deer of Autumn by Denny Haskew has been placed throughout the US, this is the final casting in the limited edition.

---

​About the Artist: Denny Haskew currently resides in Loveland, Colorado where he's been actively engaged in the art industry as a sculptor for over 35 years, specializing in figurative monuments. 

As a Charter Member of the artist-driven organization the National Sculptors’ Guild, Haskew has designed and placed more than 50 monumental public sculpture placements with the NSG design team since 1992. Major collections include the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, DC; Gilcrease Museum, OK; Briscoe Western Art Museum, TX; the cities of Cerritos, CA; Little Rock, AR and Edmond, OK; plus, multiple placements for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota Sioux Community, MN, and the Barona Band of Mission Indians, CA.

"The strength of my work ascends from the spirit of the people portrayed- Native Americans, Mayans, friends, children, people of the Great Plains and West. This same spirit connects each of us with the harmony of nature and one's relationship to another." -DH