The Platte Valley Arts Council is happy to announce that the family of artist Jerry Palen has donated a special bronze statue for benefit of the PVAC scholarship fund. The bronze, “Desert Dust” depicts the famous wild mustang from the Red Desert.
A few years ago, while planning the Platte Valley Public Art Project, Jerry and Ann Palen and Stacy Crimmins sat down to discuss ideas. “Jerry was passionate about helping the PVAC in raising funds and he told Ann he wanted to donate a bronze of “Desert Dust.” At the time, Jerry’s health was failing, and he wanted to leave this gift.” Crimmins remembered, “Jerry was so very thankful for the arts council and wanted to giveback to the organization. When Ann brought out the bronze, we all became a bit emotional. The piece is absolutely stunning.” The fact that this bronze is only the second to be cast is significant. The Palen family owns the first cast. Most of Jerry’s work is in private collections and does not come onto the market often. This auction is a rare opportunity for arts patrons and collectors of Jerry’s work.
The statue, valued at $6,000, will be sold by silent auction to raise money for the PVAC scholarship fund. Online pre-bidding will be offered as well as bidding during the Festival of the Arts Art Show, held July 5-7, 2024, at the Platte Valley Community Center. The auction will end on Sunday afternoon.
The story of “Desert Dust” is an interesting part of Wyoming’s history. Cowboy Frank “Wild Horse” Robbins spent his whole life working with and protecting wild horses. On a July morning in 1945,Robbins caught a wild palomino stallion which he later named “Desert Dust. ”Verne Wood, a Rawlins photographer, happened to be riding along with Robbins on the day Desert Dust was captured. He took a photo of the stallion that soon became one of the most famous wildlife photos of the American West.
For more information or to place your online pre-bid, visit www.plattevalleyarts.com or email info@plattevalleyarts@yahoo.com.
The Platte Valley Arts Council (PVAC) is a membership-based nonprofit, incorporated in May 1993 to foster awareness and participation in any form of the arts to develop a vibrant and cohesive community. PVAC won the Wyoming Governor’s Art Award in 1997 and Organization of the Year in 2022. PVAC demonstrates that art can be a part of our everyday lives.
