In May of 2014 Morrison Gallery hosted the unique exhibit, New Work and Collaborations by Peter Woytuk and Gilberto Romero.

The artworks exhibited integrate the styles of these two artists at their most intoxicating. The gilded curves of Romero’s works gracefully intertwine with the playful attitude of Woytuk’s style. Indeed, “playful” is a good word to describe his iconic sculptures of ravens for, as Woytuk has elaborated, “in the research I have done about these birds they are so adept at survival that they spend about 90% of their adult life just playing, kicking back and having a good time.”

The sinuous abstracted line of Gilberto Romero's fabricated bronzes is rooted in the deep traditional culture of Northern New Mexico. Romero believes his deep respect for his Hispanic family values and the outdoor environment is best expressed, not in the traditional imagery of the New Mexican Santero, but in the contemporary imagery of bronze, steel and stone. The shape, line, color and even the negative space in and around each sculpture express Romero's feelings for family and nature.

Born in 1958, Peter Woytuk has been proclaimed as the “greatest animal sculptor of the Western world” by The International Herald Tribune. Woytuk majored in art at Kenyon College where his focus was in photography. However, it was not until he apprenticed with the sculptor Philip Grausman that he took up sculpting. Besides his lively sculptures of ravens, Woytuk has been known for depicting large bulls. To make those grand sculptures possible, he must go to the foundries of Thailand and China to oversee the casting of them. He has said that the facilities are usually used to “working on twenty-foot Buddhas,” that have “the ability to pour very large-scale sculpture. They’re almost unique in their capacity to melt and pour a great amount of metal.” His most famous exhibition is Woytuk on Broadway; an epic arrangement of his worldwide acclaimed works in the Broadway Malls in New York City. This was his first outdoor exhibition. 

Woytuk’s sculptures have been displayed in such collections as Dean Witter Reynolds in New York, Diane Van Furstenberg in New York, Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey, the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, Kenyon College in Ohio, the North Carolina Zoological Park in Ashebero, the Weisman Museum at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul and Texas Tech in Lubbock.  

One of the attributes that makes Gilberto Romero’s works so pleasant to experience is his sinuous abstraction that is reminiscent of early modern masters. At a young age, Romero distinctively knew that his vocation would be in art. His greatest inspiration growing up was the Italian trained Colorado artist, Gino Miles. He has also been influenced by the Native American artist, Estella Loretto. However, the guidance of Peter Woytuk has been his most fruitful influence.  

Romero specializes in bronze sculpture, specifically work done in the fabrication process. This process allows for a more refined and sharper look to his work. Fabrication is a difficult practice in which to succeed at. It requires precision in welding to obtain a fluid and continuous line – a technique that only master welders can achieve. Romero is primarily hands on and does his work in the studio. Even when casting his work in a foundry, his wife applies the patinas.  

The Morrison Gallery is located at 8 Old Barn Road near the intersection of Routes 7 and 341. Opened in 1999, the soaring, modern gallery offers on going exhibits of sculpture, painting and other media under the direction of owner William Morrison.