Opening for William Bertrum Sharp Show at RioBravo Saturday July 8

Kicking off Art Hop for July, RioBravoFineArt, 110 N. Broadway, Truth or Consequences, NM, will present a show of work by William Bertrum Sharp (1924 – 1984) opening Saturday, July 8, 2023. This show will be a very unique event featuring work by an exceptionally talented artist who never fully gained mainstream recognition.

“Beulah Valley” by William Bertrum Sharp

Sharp started painting as a child. He exhibited watercolors while in high school and did cartoons for Yank Magazine while serving on a submarine during World War II. He became the first person to study art under the GI Bill after the war. Sharp studied under Boardman Robinson, Otis Dozier and Edgar Britton. As a student he won prizes and was exhibited by the Library of Congress in three cities. In 1956, he was named by the magazine Art in America as as one of the outstanding young artists of the year. Sharp settled in Beulah, Colorado, located toward the mountains outside of Pueblo, Colorado. After Sharp’s initial recognition, his career as a recognized American artist waned, perhaps because of health issues and a choice for a secluded life.

“Rabi” by William Bertrum Sharp

H. Joe Waldrum, the founder of RioBravoFineArt, while still a band director in Lakin, Kansas, became aware of Sharp’s work. Waldrum was so enamored of Sharp’s artwork that he began to acquire pieces by Sharp and even sell Sharp’s work in an impromptu gallery arrangement in Lakin. In 1966, Waldrum persuaded John Palmer Leeper, the director of the McNay Art Institute in San Antonio, Texas, to have a show of Sharp’s work to revive Sharp’s career. The show at the McNay seemed to help boost Sharp’s career a bit, but a World War II injury and several strokes impacted that effort; his pieces became smaller, and his output decreased. In 1977, there was a retrospective exhibit at the University of Southern Colorado art gallery. 

This show at RioBravoFineArt will consist of approximately four dozen works by Sharp representing a broad range of artistic styles in a wide range of media. This exhibit is truly a unique opportunity to see a rare collection of exceptional art. 

Contact RioBravoFineArt at 575-894-0572 for more information or see their website at www.riobravofineartgallery.com.

Content for this article was provided by RioBravoFineArt Gallery.

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John Johanek
John Johanek

John Johanek spent 40 years in publishing including four years as art director for Popular Mechanics in New York. He then founded his own design consulting firm with clients worldwide. His firm earned the highest awards in magazine design excellence. He’s written numerous articles on the fine points of magazine design in leading industry magazines and presented hundreds of design seminars and workshops for major trade conferences, publishing organizations and private publishers stateside and internationally. He and his wife Durrae have authored two books on Montana (his home state): Montana Behind the Scenes and Montana Folks. For the past several years John has pursued his passion for art and now he and Durrae operate Zia Gallery in Truth or Consequences to showcase their work. He is a member of the board of directors of the Sierra County Public-Interest Journalism Project.

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