Terpning: Tribute to the Plains People
Howard Terpning is one of the most lauded painters of Western art. Accolades he has received throughout his esteemed career include: countless awards from Cowboy Artists of America, the Hubbard Art Award for Excellence, the National Academy of Western Art’s Prix de West and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Autry National Center.Terpning’s passion, devotion and respect for his subject matter, his extraordinary talent in palette and brushstroke, combined with an exceptional ability to evoke emotion both in his paintings and from those viewing them has earned him the title of “Storyteller of the Native American.”Born in Illinois and educated at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and the American Academy of Art, he first gained attention with his captivating advertising and story illustrations. Film fans praised his movie posters for such classics asThe Sound of Music,Dr. Zhivagoand the re-issue ofGone with the Wind. But his love of the West and Native American traditions saw his transition to fine art. Terpning, Emeritus member of the Cowboy Artists of America, was active for 22 years during which time he was presented with a total of 41 awards. His book,The Art of Howard Terpningwon the Wrangler “Outstanding Art Book” award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Terpning was recently honored with a one-man show at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, Indiana featuring 30 of the artist’s most distinguished works where he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. This career milestone was further celebrated with the publication ofSpirit of the Plains People(2001, Greenwich Workshop Press). Terpning is the recipient of the Autry National Center, 2005 Masters of the American West Thomas Moran Memorial Award, given in recognition of exceptional artistic merit for painting.Harley Brown is both an artist and a writer. The author of four books, he is a regular contributor toInternational Artistmagazine. He’s a member of the Cowboy Artists of America and Western Rendezvous of Art. He shows paintings at the Prix de West in Oklahoma and the Autry Center’s Masters of the American West Exhibition in Los Angeles.