Bill Nebeker
Bill Nebeker’s original inspirations for his sculptures were the animals and people he saw on his parents’ and grandparents’ farms. He made horses, dogs, cows, bears, guns and saddles and soon went on to sculpt people. Nebeker’s sculptures are recognized for their authenticity, attention to detail, realism and action in the horses, cowboys, wildlife and Native Americans. His ideas come from the activities he participates in— hunting, fishing, team roping, working cattle on ranches—or from things he has researched.
“My ancestors took part in the Oklahoma Land Rush, and as a child those stories flooded my imagination,” he says. “Movies and television had a huge influence upon me, and I always wanted to be the good guy putting the bad guys in jail, the cowboy who saved the cattle from drought, cared for the land, the brave Indian warrior fighting to save his tribe or the cavalry soldier saving pioneers from danger or disaster.”
Nebeker continues, “My wife Merry has always called me, Richie Cunningham, from Happy Days, because I was raised by honest, hardworking parents and grew up in the welcoming, beautiful and historic town of Prescott, Arizona, and my sculptures grow out of my love of God’s creation, America, its history and heritage and the desire to honor those who came before me.”
Nebeker will participate in the Prix de West at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, June 8 to August 4; have a presentation and demo at Broadmoor Galleries, July 19 to 21; and he will unveil his monumental bronze If Horses Could Talk this summer in Prescott.