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GorillaHeroicWebAnimal Sculptor Sherry Salari Sander resides in the Montana Countryside surrounded by a 300-acre wildlife preserve, the setting for her home and studio. She draws much inspiration from animals seeking protection there as well as from extensive travel and field research ranging from the Alaskan bush to the African plains. Sander strives to foster an appreciation for declining wildlife populations and the desire to preserve their habitat.

 

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
• National Sculpture Society, Fellow
• Society of Animal Artists, Master Signature Artist (first woman to achieve this status)
• National Academy of Western Art, NAWA
• Allied Artists of America
• American Women Artists (Master Signature Member)
• Artists of America, AOA Master
• Northwest Rendezvous Group
• North American Sculpture Exhibition
• American Artists Professional League
• Scottsdale Artists School Instructor
• American Women Artists
AWARDS:
• National Academy of Western Art, Gold Medal Award for “Cougar”, 1983; Silver Medal Award for “Crossing the Divide”, 1986.
• The Executive Council on Foreign Diplomats presented “Ngamo Flats” to John F. McGillicuddy, Chairman and CEO of Manufacturers Hanover Trust Corp, winner of the International Man of the Year Award. Sherry presented the award, along with George Schultz, Secretary of State, at the State Department’s annual award luncheon, March 17, 1986, in Washington D.C., which was attended by Ambassadors from all over the world and CEO’s of many major U.S. corporations.
• Society of Animal Artists, Best of Show for “Cougar”, 1983; Award of Merit for “After Winter”, 2008; Elliot Liskin Memorial Award For Representational Sculpture for “Foxes on the Bayou”, 1993; Award of Excellence 1979 Running Rabbits, 1984 for “Shore Patrol”, 1986 for “Kudu”, 1988 for “American Bison”, and 2009 for “The Heavies”, 2010 for “Horses of the Mountain”; The Ethology Award for the Best Depiction of Natural Behavior 3-D for “An Encounter in Sheep Country”, 2014.
• Oklahoma Art Center, Best of Show Award for “Rhinos at Chiziara”, 1983, juried by Wilson Hurley.
• Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia Art Exposition, Best of Show, Silver Medal Award for “Shore Patrol”, 1984.
• Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, New York, Pemco Award for “Cat on a Ledge”, 1985; Animals in Art Award for “Arctic Brothers”, 1986; I.B.M. Award, 1989; Corporate Award for “Foxes on the Bayou”, 1993; Paul Manship Memorial Award for “Goat”, 1994.
• American Artists Professional League, Anna Hyatt Huntington Memorial Award, 1986.
• North American Sculpture Exhibition, Renaissance Bronze Award for “Goats at Rest”, 1986; H.R. Meininger Co. Award for “Peacocks”, 1998.
• International Wildlife Exposition, Governor’s Award, Best of Show for “Arctic Brothers”, 1986.
• Buffalo Bill Historical Center Art Show, Cody, Wyoming, William E. Weiss Purchase Award for “American Bison”, 1987; People’s Choice Award for “Antelope at Ingomar”, 1989; Artist’s Choice Award, “Pile Up On The Freight Line”, 1995.
• C.M. Russell Museum, Best of Show for “American Bison”, 1988; Honored Featured Artist, 2007 C.M. Russell Auction.
• Allied Artists of America, Helen Gapen Oehler Memorial Award for “Goats at Rest”, 1989; Silver Medal of Honor for “Sunny and 40 Below”, 1991; Silver Medal of Honor for “Goats Above the Middle Fork”, 1993; Raymond H. Brumer Memorial Award for “Cougars”, 2000; Elliot Liskin Memorial Award for “Rocky Mountain Wolves”, 2004; Ranieri Sculpture Casting Award for “The Heavies”, 2008; Leonard J. Meiselman Award for “Young Stallions”, 2009; The Pietro & Alfrieda Montana Memorial Award for “A Mother Bear”, 2011; Gold Medal for “Summer in the High Country”, 2012.
• Knickerbocker Artists’ 41st Annual Exhibition, New York, Silver Medal of Honor for “Goats Above the Middle Fork”, 1991.
• National Sculpture Society, The Pietro and Alfrieda Montana Memorial Prize for “Goats Above the Middle Fork”, 1992; Bedi-Makky Foundry Award for “Pelican”, 1996.
• International Masters of Fine Art, International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX, 2004 Patron’s Choice Award for “Through the Pass”; 2003 Patron’s Choice Award for “Herd of Birds”; 2002 International Masters Purchase Award and Patron’s Choice Award for “Bluff Called”; 2001 1st Runner Up Peoples’ Choice Award for “Cougars”.
• Hockaday Museum of Art, 1st Place Peoples Choice Award for “On the Roof”, Member’s Only Exhibition, Kalispell, MT 2005.
Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Best of Show for Extraordinary Artistic Achievement in any Media, Wickenburg, AZ, 2006; First Place 3-dimensional art awards for “Young Stallions” 2010, “Horses of the Mountain 2011 and “An Encounter in Sheep Country 2012; Purchase Award for “Reservation Horses”, 2015.
• Western & Wild Horse Art Show & Sale, Rock Springs, Wyoming, Best Sculpture for “Young Stallions”, 2011.
• The Briscoe Museum, San Antonio, TX, Night of the Artists Show 2012, Artists Choice Award, “American Bison”.
• American Women Artists, 16th Annual Members Show & National Juried Competition, Best in Show, for “Summer in the High Country”, 2013.
• American’s Parks II, Honorable Mention Award for “Wild Horses”, 2014 National Tour.

COLLECTIONS AND COMMISSIONS:

• Brookgreen Gardens, Pawleys Island, SC, “Cougar ’83” in permanent collection, 2010.
• City of Kalispell, Kalispell, Montana purchased heroic-size “Whitetail Deer” for permanent public collection, 2008.
• Leanin’ Tree Museum of Western Art, Boulder, CO, purchased heroic-size “Foxes on the Bayou” and heroic-size “Whitetail Deer” for outdoor sculpture garden, 2005.
• White House Christmas Ornament Project 2002. Selected for and participated in project with ornament of “Pelican”.
• Art In Public Places, Inc., Bend, Oregon, Monumental “Grizzly” purchased and installed in roundabout 2002.
• Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody, Wyoming, William E. Weiss Purchase Award for “American Bison”, 1987, permanent collection.
• Benson Park Sculpture Garden, Loveland, Colorado, purchased heroic-size “Gorilla”, 1989.
• Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa Oklahoma, purchased “Cougar”, 1995.
• The Denver Zoo, Denver, Colorado, purchased heroic-size “Gorilla”, 1989.
• Genesee Country Museum, Mumford, New York, purchased heroic-size “Gorilla” for permanent collection, 1993.
• Gerald Ford Foundation purchased “American Bison”, 1993, to be displayed at the Gerald Ford Amphitheater, Vail, Colorado.
• High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon, purchased “American Bison”, 1989.
• Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin, purchased “Herd of Birds”, 1989; “Wood Ducks On Still Water”, 1998; and, “Berries in the Snow”, 2012.
• Big Sky of Montana commissioned monumental-size “Grizzly”, 1990, for display at the Huntley Lodge, Big Sky Resort, north of Yellowstone National Park.
• National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, Wyoming, purchased life-size “Foxes on the Bayou”, “The Bearded Ones”, “Great Northern”, “Cougar”, “Gorilla”, “Kudus” for permanent collection.
• Oklahoma Zoological Society purchased heroic-size “Gorilla”, 1992, for the Oklahoma City Zoo.
• Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, Kentucky, Purchase Award for “Turkeys”, 1994.
• International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art, San Antonio, Texas, Purchase Award, “Bluff Called”, 2002.

NOTABLE EXHIBITIONS:
• Thomas Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma: Rendezvous ‘95 Retrospective Exhibition; Rendezvous’ 2004, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009.
• National Sculpture Society: Master Works of American Sculpture & Selections from the NSS 1875-1999 held at the Fleischer Museum, Scottsdale, Arizona.
• National Geographic Society: Sculpture Courtyard, Explorers Hall, Washington, D.C., May 13, 2003 – May 31, 2004, exhibiting “Young Elephant” (3/4 life size) & “Gorilla” (heroic).
• National Museum of Wildlife Art: Wildlife Art for a New Century II, May 19, 2005 – October 16, 2005, exhibiting “On the Roof”.

 

TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS:
• Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum, Wildlife: The Artists View, 1990-1991, “Antelope at Ingomar”; Birds In Art: “Tundra Swans”, national tour 1990-1991 and Japanese tour 1991-1992; “Flight Line” 1992-1993; “Turkeys”, national tour 1994-1995 and Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden; “Arctic Terns” 1995-1996; “Songbirds In My Garden” 1996-1997; “Eagles At Lake Iliamna” 1998-1999; “Snake In The Grass” 1999-2000; “On the Jump”, 2011-2012.
• Hubbard Museum, German and Russian Exhibitions, “Tundra Swans”, 1990.
• National Sculpture Society, 100 Years of the NSS of the USA in Italy, Seravezza, Italy, “Herd of Birds” and “Pheasants”, 1994.
• Society of Animal Artists, Animal and the Art, “Zero To Sixty”, 1990-1991; “Goats Above the Middle Fork”, 1991-1992; “Flight Line” 1992-1993; “Herd of Birds”, 1993-1994; and, “Caribou Herd”, 1995-1996; “The Heavies”, 2009-2010; “Horses of the Mountain”, 2010-2011; “A Mother Bear”, 2011-2012; “Young Stallions”, 2012-2013.

 

MISCELLANEOUS:
• Juried entries for Society of Animal Artists 33rd Annual Exhibition “Art and the Animal”, 1993.
• Juried C.M. Russell Art Auction Show (First woman to do so, 1984).
• Juried North American Sculpture Exhibition.
• Juried art for the annual National Academy of Western Art Exhibitions at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
• Guest artist for the C.M. Russell Art Auction, 2007.
• Juried American Women Artists’ National Juried Exhibition, 2015.
• Juried National Sculpture Society’s 83rd Annual Exhibition, 2016.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
• Contemporary Western Artists, by Peggy & Harold Samuels, 1982, Printed Judd’s, Inc., Washington, D.C.
• Southwest Art, Sherry Sander: Instinctive Rhythms, Dr. C.W. Adams, April, 1984; Featured 1986; Drawn To Drawings, August, 1990; Sherry Sander, Mystical Countries, Frank Miele, May, 1995.
• Midwest Art, Reaping Rewards, Donna Sanders, May/June, 1984.
• American Artist, A Survey of Contemporary Wildlife Art, Pat Van Gelder, April, 1985.
• Art of the West, Sherry Sander: Realism At Its Peak, Shirley Behrens, December, 1987; Sherry Salari Sander: Less Is More, Shirley Behrens, November/December, 1996; The Important and Enduring Works of America’s Twelve Most Compelling Artists: Masters For The New Millennium, Vicki Stavig, November/December, 1999; Meeting the Challenges, Vicki Stavig, November/December, 2003; Magical Medium, Vicki Stavig, July/Aug, 2006; The Studio, Emily Van Cleve, May/June, 2007; Great Challenges, Great Rewards, Vicki Stavig, July/August, 2010; Poetry in Three Dimensions, Mary Nelson, May/June 2013.
• Art-Talk, Sherry Sander: Being a Mom Comes Before All Else, Danny Medina, January, 1989; Figuring Out the Human Form, John Jarvis, January, 2001.
• Focus/Santa Fe, Every Piece A New Concept, Suzanne Deats, April/May, 1989; The Natural Side, Linda Shockley, April/May, 1995.
• The Art of Shooting, Flying; Volume II: The Images, GSL Press, Lyme, New Hampshire, 1990, included photograph of “Pheasants”, pg 127.
• InformArt, Sander Finds Realism through Abstract, Leslie McKay, March/April, 1991; The Natural World Defined By Six Wildlife Sculptors, Myrna Zanetell, Fall 1997; Silent Witness: Sherry Salari Sander Sculpts Her World, Bret Wright, Fall/Christmas, 2004.
• Wildlife Art, Sherry Sander: Defying The Elements By Bringing Bronze To Life, Judy Hughes, July/August, 1991; The Elements of Time and Place: Habitat’s Role In The Art Of Nature, Judy Hughes, March/April, 1992; Women In The Industry, Joan Brown, September/October, 2000; Master Feature: Sherry Salari Sander, Joan Brown, July/August, 2001; Sculptor Creates a Wildlife Haven, Joan Brown, Jan/Feb 2006.
• Leading the West: One Hundred Contemporary Painters and Sculptors, Donald J. Hagerty, 1997, Northland Publishing, Flagstaff, Arizona.
• Western Horseman, Gallery, Betty Harvey, July, 2000.
• American Cowboy, The Art of Animals, Susan McGarry, September/October, 2000.
• National Sculpture Society, Sculptor Profile: Sherry Salari Sander, September/October 2004.
• American Art Collector, Leading Ladies Part I: Sherry Salari Sander, January, 2006.
• Western Art Collector, Intense Expression: Sherry Salari Sander, December, 2007.
• Who’s Who in American Art, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.
• Who’s Who in America, 2008, 2009.
• ForbesLife Mountain Time, Bronze Sculpture, Sarah Max, 2009.
• The Red Fox in Art, John Orrelle, 2013, features several of Sherry’s fox sculptures.
• Western Art & Architecture, Illuminations, Michele Corriel, Dec. 2013/Jan. 2014 issue.