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.
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.
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.