“ANIMALS HAVE PERSONALITIES that make me smile, and that is what I try to convey through my work,” says Tim Cherry of his wildlife sculptures. When he was a teenager, a job as an outfitting guide in British Columbia, the Yukon, and Northwest Territories, provided him close contact with the moose, bears, and other animals that he now sculpts. To further explore his interest in wildlife, he studied animal anatomy with a taxidermist whose own sculpture inspired Cherry to try his hand.
As a sculptor of animals, both wild and domesticated, Cherry has been influenced more by art nouveau than strict realism, which is evident in the abstract shapes of his playful, stylized works. His sculptures’ smooth finishes lend themselves to a variety of patinas, adding interest and individuality to his creatures.
Notable Awards and Achievements
2023 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Prix de West, Major General and Mrs. Don D. Pittman Wildlife Award
2023 Benson Park Sculpture Garden, Loveland High Plains Arts Council, Loveland, Colorado, public art installation
2022 Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Quest for the West, Cyrus Dallin Award for Best Sculpture
2021 Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs, Arkansas, public art installations
2019 Rotary Sculpture Park in Mercy Park, Joplin, Missouri, public art installation
2017 Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Quest for the West, Cyrus Dallin Award for Best Sculpture
2016 Briscoe Western Art Museum, House Sitter installation
2016 National Museum of Wildlife Art, River Mates added to the permanent collection
2016 City of Little Rock, Arkansas, Whole Hog and Bear Ball monument installations
2010 National Sculpture Society Annual Exhibition, Best Sculpture in the Round
2010 Jackson Hole Airport, Jackson, Wyoming, Bison Columns monument installation
2010 City of Little Rock, Arkansas, Rabbit Reach and Stag Leap monument installations
2010 National Sculpture Society Annual Exhibition, Margaret Hexter Prize for Sculpture in the Round
2007 National Sculpture Society Annual Exhibition, Gold Medal and Maurice B. Hexter Prize
2004 National Sculpture Society Annual Exhibition, Percival Dietsch Prize
2004 Gilcrease Museum, Rendezvous, Featured Artist
2003 Gilcrease Museum, Silver Anniversary Rendezvous, Featured Artist
2003 National Sculpture Society Annual Exhibition, Elliott Gantz and Company Foundry Award
2002 National Sculpture Society Annual Exhibition, Bedi-Makky Art Prize
Memberships
National Sculptors’ Guild
National Sculpture Society
Society of Animal Artists
Publications
Art of the West, “I Have to Explore” (November/December 2023)
Fine Art Connoisseur, “From the Bones” (September/October 2023)
Western Art Collector, “Far Reaching” Art Show Preview (September 2023)
Gallery Representation
Mockingbird Gallery, Bend, Oregon
Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico and Durango, Colorado
Wood River Fine Arts, Ketchum, Idaho