About Dave McGary

Dave McGary – A legacy in bronze realism (1958-2013)

The sculptures are entirely bronze. They are not adorned with accouterments despite what a first glance leads you to believe. The beaded fabric, rumpled leather clothing and feathered headdresses are bronze. Those slender strips of fringe and impossibly wispy feathers don’t rustle at the slightest provocation. Run your fingers over the intricate beading, the folds of the material and you feel only the coolness of metal.

But don’t blame failing eyesight for the uncertainty. Considered the Master of Realism, Dave McGary conjured up vivid and thought-provoking historic figures for over three decades. Yet sometimes the most powerful element of his work was the unseen. Motion and momentum are captured in every piece. The laws of physics are in play. You feel the tug of gravity. The sculpture seems quietly alert.

His exquisite depictions of Native Americans occupy places of honor in an array of prestigious settings, including the Smithsonian Museum, the U.S. Capitol National Statuary Hall, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, the Wyoming State Capital, the Buffalo Bill Historical Museum, the Gene Autry Museum, Concordia University and many more.