First Three Bronzes

John Sherrill Houser has completed The Equestrian, the world’s largest bronze equestrian (36-feet high, 16 tons). It depicts Don Juan de Oñate, founder of the Hispanic Southwest, mounted on a rearing stallion at The Pass of the North in 1598. It took ten years to complete (1997-2006). The colossus was installed at the entrance of the El Paso International Airport on October 31, 2006. It will be dedicated on Saturday, April 21, 2007.

Fray García de San Francisco, Founder of The Pass on the North, 1659, was created in two years (1994-1996). The 14-foot statue, the largest outdoor bronze figure in the State of Texas, was installed on September 26, 1996.

The sculptor created the concept maquette (small-scale model) for the third statue in the XII Travelers series, The Magoffin Family Santa Fe/Chihuahua Trail Monument, 1846. It will celebrate the Santa Fe/Chihuahua Trail.

Susan Shelby Magoffin, the teenage wife of Santa Fe Trader, Samuel Magoffin, recorded a trail diary. Her keen observations reflect a woman's perspective. She describes The Pass of the North, family relations and child rearing. In El Paso del Norte, she lived with two families and recorded her fondness for Mexican and culture. Her account documents the crucial historic period of the US-Mexican War (1846-1847). The diary, Down the Santa Fe and Into Mexico is published by the Yale University Press. (See: this website - biography & bibliography of Susan Shelby Magoffin).

The El Paso City Council approved the Magoffin statue and set-aside a site in El Paso near the historic Magoffin Home. The council stated that Susan Shelby Magoffin should be relegated as a secondary figure, which would subbordinate her to James Wiley Magoffin, her brother-in-law (and Santa Fe trader), who founded Magoffinville (now part of modern-day El Paso). Susan was an early advocate of Women's Rights and wrote poetry on the subject.

John Sherrill Houser, Project Sculptor

John Houser is outstanding for his mastery of both painting and sculpture. He was born in South Dakota where his father was assistant sculptor in the carving Mt. Rushmore. John studied in Spain and Italy. He is a professional member of the National Sculpture Society. The artist has exhibited throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe. His work is in prominent public and private collections. His sculpture has been featured in the worldwide media including The New York Times, The London Sunday Telegraph, Southwest Art Magazine, Der Spiegel, Los Angeles Times, and The Houston Chronicle. For over 5-years, a PBS TV filmmakers has been documenting the creation of the giant equestrian bronze. This will be the first time ever that the making of a colossal monument has been documented from the sequential processes -  maquette, enlarging process, casting, finishing, installation and dedication.