Gerald Balciar
Born 1942 in Medford, Wisconsin; lives in Parker, Colorado

LIKE MANY artists, Gerald Balciar’s fascination with art began when he was a young boy. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, he was fascinated by the wild animals in the woods near his home and taught himself how to sketch them. In 1964, after learning to work in clay, he cast his first bronze. He later began to carve in stone as well.

Balciar’s empathy for animals, enhanced by careful research and occasional work from live models, forms the basis for his sympathetic portrayals of wildlife, which are admired by zoologists and wildlife advocates. His creations range from small works to monumental installations. His largest marble is Canyon Princess, an 18-foot, 16,000-pound cougar carved from a single block and installed at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. In order to have the marble he prefers, he stores a huge supply near his studio. His largest bronze is a 20′ high moose located in Mooseheart, Illinois.

Notable Awards and Achievements
2021 Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Quest for the West, Cyrus Dallin Award
2014 Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Quest for the West, Eiteljorg Keepsake
2012 Autry Museum of the American West, Masters of the American West, Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation Sculpture Award
2009 Society of Animal Artists, Award of Excellence
2009 Montana Historical Society, Western Rendezvous of Art, People’s Choice Award
2007 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Prix de West, James Earl Fraser Sculpture Award
1999 Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, William E. Weiss Purchase Award
1991 National Academy of Western Art, Prix de West, Gold Medal
1990 National Academy of Western Art, Prix de West, Nona Jean Hulsey Rumsey Buyers’ Choice Award and Silver Medal
1985 National Academy of Western Art, Prix de West, Purchase Award and Gold Medal

Memberships
Allied Artists of America
Society of Animal Artists

Gallery Representation
Astoria Fine Art, Jackson, Wyoming
Broadmoor Galleries, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Sorrel Sky Galleries, Durango, Colorado, and Santa Fe, New Mexico
Pitzer’s Fine Arts, Wimberley, Texas