Eldon

Koshare Indian Museum 115 West 18th Street La Junta, CO 81050 (719) 384-4411

...More than a Museum

Koshare Indian Museum

WORLD FAMOUS KOSHARES

You will find authentic Native American and Western crafts and gifts to give, to collect, and to appreciate in the Koshare Trading Post.

In addition, to the art and artifacts, see the largest self-supported log roof in the world -- one of the most popular features in the museum.

Discover the inspiring story of how a group of boys built the Koshare program. The story begins at the bottom of the Great Depression.

The Koshare Indian Dancers are the members of Boy Scout Troop 232 and Venturing Crew 2230 of the Rocky Mountain Council, Boy Scouts of America.

On Saturday, October 13th, the Kiva Presents impressionist oil painter Eldon Warren. Eldon was born in Nebraska in 1952 and now makes his home in Colorado. Growing up, there wasn't money to buy paint and brushes and the other things a young artist needs so Eldon spent most of his time with a pencil and paper drawing the things around him.

He ended up at Colorado Boys Ranch, at La Junta, Colorado, in 1967. The Ranch Administrator's wife, taking an interest in the development of Eldon's artistic skills, took him to town and bought oil paint, brushes and canvas. This marked the beginning of a life long career as an artist.

The first step beyond high school art classes was with Art Instruction Schools, a correspondence course that taught the basics. That experience set a solid foundation in drawing and put Eldon on the right path. His art education after that took place in workshop settings and every "good" art book he could find.

After graduating high school in La Junta in 1970, Eldon moved around quite a bit, not really settling anywhere until 1981. After high school he worked as a laborer in Sidney, Nebraska. He spent time in Houston, Texas working as a roofer, then moved back to La Junta and worked as a machine operator in a factory. He spent a couple of years in Portland, Oregon as a welder then settled in Denver in 1981 and has been there ever since.

What motivates me is a desire to let others know where I've been, what I've seen and how I felt about it. Sometimes that isn't easy but I think I manage to always touch the viewer in some way. I am most drawn to subjects that are filled with bright sunlight and long dark shadows. In this part of the country that isn't hard to find.

Exhibitions and awards

(* denotes one person show, **denotes group show)

1975 Fine Arts League 4th Annual Art Show of Miniatures, Jurors Choice Award

1976 **Grand Opening, La Junta State Bank, La Junta, Colorado

1976 *Town Square Mall, La Junta, Colorado

1977 Fine Arts League National Juried Art Show, La Junta, Colorado Purchase Award

1978 *Picketwire Players Theater, La Junta, Colorado

1978 Fine Arts League National Juried Art Show, La Junta, Colorado Jurors Choice and Purchase Award

1979 **Colorado Boys Ranch and The Hole In The Wall Gang, Crossroads Of The West Benefit Art Sale, Denver, Colorado

1980 *Windmill Gallery, Las Animas,

Colorado

1984 The Oak Rose Gallery, Steamboat

Springs, Colorado

1985 *Picketwire Players Theater,

La Junta, Colorado

1986 *Hamilton Galleries, Denver,

Colorado

1986 *Denver Regency Guild, Guest

Artist

1989 Foot Hills Art Center Annual

Members Show, Golden, Colorado, Best

Of Show Award

1994 Gallery of Western Art, Baraboo,

Wisconsin

1995 Fine Arts League National Juried Art Show, La Junta Colorado, Best Professional Award

2003 Painting the Parks 2003 Director's Choice Award

2003 Painting the Parks 2003 Award of Merit

2004 RL Foster Gallery 2nd Annual Drawing Exhibition Best Figurative

2004 Colorado State Fair Fine Art Exhibition Meritorious Award

2004 Peoples Choice Award Estes Park Painting The Parks Plein Air 2004

2004 Top 100 Arts For The Parks

2005 Bronze Medal Award Estes Park Painting The Parks Plein Air 2005