Artist Bio

Dave McGary, at 45, is becoming a living legend among contemporary artists of the American West. He is considered the Master of Realism depicting Native American Indians and his many awards during the past decade more than verify his popularity among collectors and fellow artists. His ability to capture the human spirit knows no equal, and his attention to detail in form and historic content are exhilarating.

Dave was born the son of a ranching family in Cody, Wyoming. He began exploring sculpture, thanks to a high school art teacher, and when he was only 16 he was one of four recipients of a scholarship to study with master craftsman in Italy. There, over a period of a year and a half, McGary learned the exacting Italian Renaissance technique of lost wax casting and had the opportunity to study anatomy and sculpting with American sculptor Harry Jackson.

Not until he was in his 20's, and beginning to receive recognition for his bronze sculptures, did McGary discover his soul connection to the history and culture of the Plains Indian people, an affinity that has guided his life and his art ever since. In 1981, while working at a Santa Fe foundry, McGary came to know several students at the Institute of American Indian arts, one of the country's oldest and most prestigious schools for native artists. He was invited to attend a Sun Dance ceremony on the Lakota Reservation- a rare opportunity for a non-Indian, and an experience that changed the young man's life.

During that first visit, which stretched into an entire summer, McGary became fascinated with the Lakota's ceremonies and traditions. He lived with the family of a tribal elder named Gerald Red Elk, who encouraged him to use his talents to teach the world about the Lakota culture. McGary was eventually adopted into the Red Elk family and received the name "Wambalee Tanks" or "Big Eagle."

Today, McGary is recognized as a master sculptor and is renowned for creating authentically detailed, vividly painted bronzes that depict actual figures and scenes from Native American history. His monumentally-sized pieces have been commissioned by and are on permanent display at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C., the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles, the Eiteljorg Museum of the American Indian in Indianapolis, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne, the Museum of the Horse in Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico, and the State Capitol in Santa Fe.

Recent Press on Dave McGary

Dave McGary: A Man of Deep Spirit - November 2007 (PDF)
Scottsdale Magazine - Expressions in History: Dave McGary - October 2007 (PDF)