TRAIL OF PAINTED PONIES
A funny thing happened at the recent American Veteran’s Auction of Western Americana in Prescott, Arizona. Several million dollars worth of Indian artifacts, vintage western saddles, and antique furniture had gone on the block when a ceramic figurine signed by the Comanche artist Rance Hood went under the gavel. And when the bidding stopped, ‘War Pony’ had taken a prestigious place beside such rare and authentic collectibles as fully beaded Plains Indian moccasins.
How did it come to pass that one of the collectible figurines, reproduced from artwork generated by The Trail of Painted Ponies and currently available in retail gift shops and tack and feed stores nationwide, fetched hundreds of dollars at auction? In an effort to understand what’s going on we must start with the facts. And like hoofprints, they are easy to follow:
The Trail of Painted Ponies was launched in 2001 as a public art project in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over one hundred of the finest artists in the Southwest were invited to creatively transform life-size fiberglass horse sculptures into original works of art. The remarkable results dramatically demonstrated that when artists turn to the horse for inspiration and give their imaginations free rein, wonderful things happen.
The stunningly beautiful Painted Ponies were put on public display around the state where they garnered rave reviews. Hundreds of thousands of people were so enchanted by the large-scale artworks they took a trail drive around the state. Then, at a series of Trails End auctions, the sale of Painted Ponies generated close to one million dollars for philanthropic organizations.
But the project did not end there. So wildly successful was The Trail that it expanded nationally. Adventurous artists from around the country expressed an interest in stretching their talent on the ‘canvas’ of a horse. They were given the chance on smaller horse forms that, once painted, were offered to the public for sale with proceeds benefiting the artists. With the introduction of a line of exquisitely crafted reproductions, people everywhere were given an affordable opportunity to appreciate and own Painted Pony art for themselves, and Painted Pony figurines rapidly became one of the most popular collectibles in America. In recognition of the fact that The Trail of Painted Ponies brought the arts to a national audience in a whole new way, people from Main Street to museums hailed the arrival of an exciting new American art movement called ‘Pony Expressionism.’
Those are the facts. But facts don’t explain what is truly happening with The Trail of Painted Ponies, according to Rod Barker, its founder and president. “Something mysterious is going on,” he says. In an effort to understand it, he posed the question to collectors on the website: www.trailofpainteponies.com. What came in were comments like: “Painted Ponies inspire the imagination and touch the soul.” “They give us another way to love horses.” “They let you live out experiences you have otherwise missed.” “They remind you of the highlights of your past.” “It’s simple: Now, at last, the horse can speak.”
Pressed for his opinion, Barker suggests, “Every so often, something comes along that changes our expectations of what is possible: a new idea, an inspired invention. And it changes the way we think about the world. In the way the Painted Ponies inspire each of us to think in terms of our own creative possibilities, I think that explains some of what’s going on.”
Citing his organization’s commitment to blazing new art trails, Barker adds that The Trail of Painted Ponies has just announced a new national art competition: The Native Art of Horse Painting. “The Native American practice of painting one’s horse with dramatic colors and symbols in preparation for ceremonial events or forays into enemy territory was a rich and complex art form unto itself,” he explains. “Out of respect for this legacy, and in an effort to give contemporary artists the opportunity to reinvent this tradition, we are inviting Native artists, as well as non-Native artists inspired by the Native American experience, to take advantage of the opportunity to express the unique history and traditions of Native Americans on the form of a horse.”
More information on the competition, including an application and a list of the financial and promotional benefits awarded to competition winners, is available at: www.trailofpaintedponies.com.
