Ray Swanson (October 4, 1937 – December 17, 2004) was an American painter of the American West, especially Native Americans.
Ray Swanson | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 4, 1937 Alcester, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Died | December 17, 2004 |
| Education | Northrop Aeronautical Institute |
| Occupation | Painter |
| Spouse | Beverly Anderton |
| Children | 1 son, 1 daughter |
Early life
editSwanson was born on October 4, 1937, in Alcester, South Dakota.[1][2] His grandfather was an "amateur painter,"[3] and his brother Gary was also a painter.[4] Swanson graduated from the Northrop Aeronautical Institute in 1960.[1][3]
Career
editSwanson began his career as an engineer in California, and he opened a gallery in Oak Glen, San Bernardino County, California, in the 1960s.[3] In 1973, he left California to establish the Christian Academy of Prescott in Prescott, Arizona, in 1973.[2] He later moved to Carefree, Arizona, where he opened a studio.[1]
Swanson became a professional painter of the American West, especially Native Americans. His paintings depicted the lives of the Hopi, Zuni and Navajo tribes.[2] He often painted on the Navajo Nation reservation.[2] Swanson's paintings were not caricatures of Native Americans but realistic depictions, and they were thus "positively received by the Indian community."[5]
Swanson was a member of the Cowboy Artists of America from 1986 to 2004.[1] He won a gold medal from the National Academy of Western Art in 1975.[6] His work was added to the collection of the Phippen Museum in Prescott.[3]
Personal life and death
editSwanson married Beverly Anderton; they had a son, Steven, and a daughter, Pamela.[2] He died on December 17, 2004.[2] His funeral was held at the Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Ray Swanson". Cowboy Artists of America. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Tropiano, Dolores (December 24, 2004). "Late artist never got to see painting hang at show". Arizona Republic. pp. S1–S2. Retrieved February 9, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Ray Swanson (1937–2004)". Phippen Museum. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ Wilson, Maggie (May 19, 1975). "Their subjects are in boondocks". The Arizona Republic. p. 14. Retrieved February 14, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lengel, Kerry (October 16, 2005). "ABCs of the CAA". The Arizona Republic. p. 55. Retrieved February 14, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gold Medal". The Arizona Republic. July 13, 1975. p. N5. Retrieved February 14, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.