Delmas Howe
Recognized for Excellence
By Lester Strong

Delmas Howe
Cowboy Angel, 2005
oil on canvas
72 x 44"

From the seductive cowpokes of his Rodeo Pantheon series to the sexy male angels who populate his more recent work, New Mexico-based artist Delmas Howe has for several decades provided the contemporary art world with images having a decidedly gay slant. As a resident of Truth or Consequences—a small town in the southern part of the state not usually identified in people’s minds with the visual arts—he has also worked to bring the arts to his hometown by co-founding the Sierra County Arts Council, which since its inception in 1995 has encouraged local public art, introduced arts programs into the schools, and helped bring artists and galleries to Truth or Consequences.

Recognizing these contributions, New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson, on September 15, 2006, awarded Howe the New Mexico State Governor’s Award for Excellence in Painting, and appointed him to a commission that oversees art acquisitions for the state capitol building in Santa Fe.

Howe was the subject of the recent award-winning documentary, The Truth or Consequences of Delmas Howe. His series, Stations: A Gay Passion, commemorating the many gay men lost to AIDS, will be the subject of an exhibition at Leslie/Lohman in March 2007.