Perhaps the greatest drawback in living far from the glittering East Coast intelligentsia is that it often means being ignored or forgotten. For some strange reason, critics (literary, theater, art, music) don’t realize that the United States is a huge country with thousands of incredibly talented people, many of whom are far superior in capability and production to Northeastern counterparts.
Worst off is the artist, musician or writer who chooses to make a home in the wilds of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, or West Texas. There is no more perfect example of this than New Mexico artist and my dear friend, Michael Hurd.
I doubt if anyone has ever had an artistic pedigree like Michael's. His grandfather was the legendary artist and illustrator, N.C. Wyeth. For the uninitiated, N.C. Wyeth gave us such treasures as the book illustrations for Ernie Pile, James Fennimore Cooper and other literary legends. He gave us knights in shining armor, Robin Hood, pirates, fairies, Redcoats, heroes. He also gave us the modern day image of Santa Claus!
Even more importantly for this tale, as a young man he roamed the Southwest desert drinking in colors, sunsets, characters, landscapes, and people. The result was a magnificent collection of cowboys, soldiers, settlers, Indians, and the Wild West of legend.
N. C. Wyeth presented the world with two other important treasures: his daughter Henrietta and his son Andrew. Henrietta became famous for her flowers and her portraits of children, including the sister in law of one of my best friends and an extraordinary painting of her own son, Michael.
Henrietta married New Mexico native Peter Hurd and moved to the ‘Wild West’ with him, settling in San Patricio, New Mexico. There she quietly made a beautiful home for herself and for her family.
Peter Hurd became such a character of artistic legend that presidents and kings sought his work, much of which is still on display in San Patricio. There are stories about how Peter Hurd and another Lincoln County legend, the late Republican Congressman Joe Skeen, would ride horses into saloons and ride them across the bar if dared!
He was an unusual man who could literally walk with kings and not lose the common touch. He could ride, drink, spit, and rope with cowboys without losing his nobility. Michael possesses the same ability, knowing how to make anyone around him, from President to tourist, feel comfortable and worthy.
If Michael was living back East he would be considered one of the leading water-colorists in the nation. Because he chooses to live in New Mexico and paint the landscape he loves, his work is constantly overlooked as critics ogle his Eastern relatives.
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Article comments
1 - Bella Romain
I just came across your Nov. 06 article about Michael Hurd, while looking for info on Peter Hurd, because we were given a quantity of lovely P.H. prints to sell to help raise funds for the Historical Foundation for SE New Mexico.
I enjoyed your comments, and having lived in New York, and having painted and been around numerous artists, I agree with your assessment that if you are not in the Northeast, for example, you are likely to be overlooked and undervalued, as apparently Michael Hurd is.
Thanks for the vigorous defense of apparently a really good artist and a decent person. I enjoyed your article.
Bella Romain
Roswell NM