The Legend of Desert Dust

At the annual Festival of the Arts, the Platte Valley Arts Council (PVAC) will be holding a silent auction for a one-of-a-kind bronze inspired by a one-of-a-kind wild horse.

The bronze, “Desert Dust,” was created by the late Jerry Palen and donated by his wife, Ann. Desert Dust was a famous wild palomino stallion from the Red Desert. According to Ann, the sculpture donated to the PVAC is an artist-proof edition and is the last of its kind.

“Jerry was working on another bronze and decided to do a bronze of Desert Dust, a famous wild horse captured in the Red Desert in the 1940s,” Ann said. “We did a series of ten and it is completely sold out. What an artist does is an artist proof. I told Stacy Crimmins of the PVAC when we had an art project a couple of years ago, I would donate Jerry’s artist proof.”

Ann said she suggested the idea of creating a bronze of Desert Dust.

“I suggested the idea to him which is kind of funny because he usually does not pay attention to me,” Ann said. “He had some generic horse clay and I said ‘Why don't you do Desert Dust?’ So he immediately started sculpting the image of the horse.”

Ann also talked about Frank Robbins, a rancher who rescued Desert Dust. According to the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming, in March 1943, the U.S. Grazing Service (now the Bureau of Land Management), held a meeting about reducing the wild horse population on Federal ranges in Wyoming. Robbins attended the meeting and began working on a plan to put the wild horses to good use instead of getting rid of them.

Ann said a photographer from Rawlins named Verne Wood rode along with Robbins in the Red Desert. Wood would take a now iconic photo of Desert Dust

“Robbins helped rescue wild horses out in the desert, “ Ann said. “When he captured the horses he kept some of the horses and also sold some of them. He captured the stallion and had a photographer with him (Wood) on a ride along and the picture of Desert Dust became famous”.

Everett Grubb, owner of Custom Builders in Saratoga, went to school with Wood’s daughter Nancy. He said Wood liked the photo so much he had extra copies made.

Grubb said It was such a great picture. He sold many copies and, as I recall, he sold postcards of Desert Dust and became famous for selling those pictures. I am guessing those pictures started in black and white. I went to school with Verne’s daughter Nancy and he told me she is the best when it comes to touching up on his pictures.”

According to Grubb, Wood’s pictures of Desert Dust postcards were removed from where they were sold because of a dispute with Robbins over royalties.

“The rancher (Robbins) who captured Desert Dust wanted royalties from Verne for taking the pictures,” Grubb said. “Verne took pictures of Desert Dust before it was captured. It was stressful for Verne when he had to spend money on lawyers to protect himself. He died with a broken heart and as a broken man because of the legal issues of his pictures.”

Crimmins said she was touched by Anna Palen's generous donation. She said the Palens had been supporters of the PVAC for many years.

“This donation has touched me because I have known the Palens for years,” Crimmins said. “Jerry is a world-renowned artist and has supported the PVAC for years. His work ranges from full-size bronze statues to his Stampede cartoon, syndicated nationally.”

Crimmins said PVAC recently painted two more panels of Mr. Palen’s cartoons in Harmony Park in Encampment for a total of five.

“Since there were no other public art pieces in the Platte Valley attributed to Jerry, it was very important to me to honor his work in this way,” Crimmins said. “Jerry died in 2021 before the public art project was revealed in 2022. Those who met Jerry know he loved to laugh and was funny but he was also serious about his work and a perfectionist.”

Crimmins said the PVAC has awarded over $20,000 in scholarships over the years. The focus is on art instead of academics. She said this donation by the Palens will help continue funding scholarships.

The benefits from the auction will go to the PVAC scholarship fund. Online pre-bidding began on June 5, 2024, and bidding will be closed on Sunday, July 7 at 5 p.m. The bronze will be on display during the Festival of Arts from July 5 to July 7.