Cawdrey Gallery presents joint exhibition ‘Boundless Horizons'

A joint exhibition featuring two artists whose work celebrates the enduring spirit of the American West comes to Cawdrey Gallery in Whitefish. 

Oil painter Jeff McKay and sculptor Brenna Kimbro bring together their unique artistic visions in a show that explores themes of freedom, connection to nature and the majestic beauty of Western landscapes and wildlife. 

The exhibit opens with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. July 3 at the gallery located at 206 Lupfer Ave.   

McKay’s passion for the American West is rooted in childhood adventures across the western U.S. with his family. From the Badlands of South Dakota to Leadville’s Silver Dollar Saloon, these formative experiences traveling through abandoned silver mines and ghost towns scattered throughout the Rocky Mountains shaped his artistic vision, according to his bio at jeffmckayart.com. 

The self-taught Colorado artist started painting in 1998, finding it a creative outlet while raising his family. He eventually discovered that his love for the Rocky Mountains would fuel his passion for becoming a professional artist. 

McKay’s work captures the essence of western landscapes through his masterful impasto oil paintings. Using thick, textured bold strokes and rich colors his paintings focus on the natural beauty of quaking aspens, towering snowy peaks that embody the Rocky Mountain wilderness. 

Born in Seoul, Korea, Kimbro, whose birth name was Smokey Kim, was adopted at eighteen months old by a family living on a working cattle ranch in eastern Oregon, Kimbro’s artistic journey began with an instant connection to horses and the natural world, according to her bio at brennakimbro.com. Her unique background — Korean and American heritage combined with a ranch upbringing — brings a distinctive perspective to her equine art. 

Kimbro, whose Oregon-based studio is part of a horse barn, horses have been the central subject of her art for more than 35 years, with her earliest works dating back to 4 years old. In 2004, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Art. 

And while the mediums she used have evolved from childhood crayon drawings to sophisticated bronze castings, her connection to horses has remained a constant.  

Together, these artists create a dialogue between landscape and wildlife, between the vast Western terrain and the creatures that inhabit it.

    Jeff McKay
  

    Sculptor Brenna Kimbro stands next to a piece titled "Liberty." (Courtesy photo)
  

    "Wilder" by Brenna Kimbro. (Courtesy photo)