The heart of Veryl Goodnight's creative philosophy is, "I cannot separate animals from my art, or them from the land, nor from the history they share with humans." Veryl is a distant relative of Col. Charles Goodnight (1836-1929), a Texas Ranger and cattle baron, and his wife Mary Ann Goodnight (1839-1926), credited for saving bison calves from slaughter in the 1870s. Her efforts ultimately resulted in preserving a whole species, a significant contribution to animal conservation. Veryl’s passion for conserving and preserving animals in the West is a grounding element in her work. Her deep love for animals, especially horses, is not just a personal interest but a profound source of inspiration intricately woven into her art.
Veryl's unwavering dedication to her craft was evident from a young age. Growing up in Colorado, Veryl developed a deep love for animals. She spent hours drawing, sculpting, and dreaming about having her own horse. Her parents recognized her exceptional talent for depicting her subjects in a realistic style. They encouraged her by ensuring Veryl had plenty of art supplies available. By the time Veryl was 16, she was winning Best of Show awards, encouraging her to consider a career in fine art. The University of Colorado at Boulder offered Veryl a scholarship opportunity to study art. However, she declined because of the university's focus on abstract art. Instead, she attended Central Business College in Denver, held a steady job, and continued to study art in her spare time with mentors such as illustrator James Disney, painter Ned Jacob, sculptor Ken Bunn, anatomy expert Jon Zahourek, and Kent Ullberg, who provided Old West design concepts.
It was only a short time before Veryl perfected her landscape and wildlife painting skills. She soon branched out into bronze sculpture and studied horse and human anatomy; transitioning to sculpture launched her into a full-time career as a working artist. In 1987, while on a horseback ride near Castle Rock, Colorado, Veryl met fellow horseman Roger Brooks, an airline flight captain. Although neither claimed to be looking for a long-term relationship, in 1990, they were married, and Roger became Verly's business manager upon taking early retirement from the airlines. November 9, 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall was a significant event not only in world politics, it became a turning point for Veryl. She describes the vision for the sculpture, “It came as a dream the day after the Wall fell. I was sculpting several small horse studies; that night, I was awakened by a dream of those horses jumping over fallen sections of the cement wall." This dream and the historical event inspired a monumental sculpture that took nearly three years to complete and involved meticulous planning and execution. The Day the Wall Came Down, with its five horses running through the rubble of the fallen Berlin Wall, is a powerful representation of freedom and the resilience of the human spirit.
Through Roger and Veryl’s exhausting efforts, The Day the Wall Came Down became a gift from the people of the United States to the people of Germany. The monument was delivered to Germany by the U.S. Air Force and now stands on the property of the Allied Museum in the former American sector of West Berlin. The 41st President, George H. W. Bush, unveiled The Day the Wall Came Down in a commemoration ceremony for the 50th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. In October 1998, Veryl received the Central Intelligence Agency's "Agency Seal Medallion" for the sculpture. The medallion is inscribed, "For your vision of freedom, patriotism, and expression of the human spirit." Roger Brooks’s essay in the book No Turning Back: The Art of Veryl Goodnight conveys the entire remarkable story in breathtaking detail.
True to her foundation and deep love for animals, Veryl works exclusively with live models. As a result, she and Roger raised a menagerie of animals, some of which have become pets. Charlie the bison calf became the model for her piece Back from the Brink, along with model Jessica La Casse, in honor of Mary Ann Goodnight’s efforts to save the plains bison from extinction. For more information on Charlie's adventures, Veryl and Roger published a book titled Buffalo in the House, written by author R.D. Rosen, an informative, humorous, and heartfelt read. The sculpture became part of Veryl's ‘Women of the West’ series, a collection of life-size sculptures celebrating women's resilience and strength in the Western frontier. Back from the Brink now stands at the Museum of the Southwest in Midland, Texas, and five other institutions in the mid-west.
Veryl Goodnight and her husband, Roger Brooks, live between Durango and Mesa Verde National Park in the mountains of Southwest Colorado. The dynamic landscapes and abundant wildlife of the surrounding ranching community provide plenty of inspiration for both sculpture and painting. Her home studio is in a large barn where she keeps live animal models. Veryl, a former licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and Roger rehab wildlife to return to the wild. The love of dogs specifically lured Veryl to the wilds of Alaska after professional musher friends sparked Veryl’s imagination in sled dogs. Her next passion project took on the scale of “Denali" proportions. Alaska is the last frontier of the Old West, and “Sled dogs in the North are what horses were on the Plains,” Veryl says, "It's an incredible story; that's why it has to be shared.”
Veryl took off for Alaska to experience dog sledding for herself while researching the history of the Denali Park Canine Patrol. The project resulted in Veryl owning and driving her four-dog team, which contributed to the cover and 16 paintings for the book The History of Sled Dogs in North America by Helen Hegener. "Animals are my greatest source of joy and inspiration; Roger and I are the proud owners of two Alaskan Huskies that have evolved as supreme partners to man.
Rosemary and Sasha are litter mates descending from a long line of huskies that have delivered mail, carried gear, rescued lost travelers, and participated in the 1925 Great Race of Mercy, relaying diphtheria antitoxin across Alaska to Nome. The run saved the community from an epidemic.” As Veryl built her sled dog team, Hardy became the pack's welcome addition and natural leader. After a long, productive life today, Hardy remains the last team member. A comprehensive exhibit of Veryl Goodnight’s “Sled Dogs in America” is on display at the Scottsdale Museum of the West in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona.
Veryl Goodnight, for over 50 years, has been one of our nation's most prolific artistic storytellers through her paintings and sculptures. She has completed over 200 sculptures and 20 life-size or larger monuments: the National Cowboy and Heritage Museum, Museum of the Southwest, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Texas A & M University, and Berlin, Germany, are just a few locations where her monument sculptures are displayed. Veryl's work is featured in many books and significant American art magazines. She has exhibited in shows such as Masters of the American West, Los Angeles, California; Cheyenne Governor’s Invitational, Cheyenne, Wyoming; Quest for the West, Indianapolis, Indiana; the Northwest Rendezvous, Helena, Montana; and Cowgirl Up in Wickenburg, Arizona, to name a few.
A book titled No Turning Back: The Art of Veryl Goodnight was released as a 40-year retrospective by the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2011. Veryl Goodnight is a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society, a member of the American Academy of Equine Art, and inducted into The National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 2016 for a lifetime of representing the American West in Art. Her work is represented by Veryl Goodnight Studio in Mancos, Colorado; Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson, Arizona; Ann Korogolos Gallery in Basalt, Colorado; and Broadmoor Gallery in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Visit Veryl's website for a complete list of public sculptures. Veryl Goodnight sums her life's work as, "I feel privileged to wake up daily with the same passion to create that filled my head as a child. I will never take this gift of time and health for granted. There are many stories left to be told."
Website: www.verylgoodnight.com
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