The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Ed. 1 Tuesday, September 27, 1983 Page: 10 of 19
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Page 10 J-TAC
September 27,1983
September 27, 1983
Page 11 J-TAC
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Hoka Hey Gallery south of Stephenville
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Art ga
gains acclaim
By ROXANNA POSEY
Located just a few miles south of Stephenville
on Highway 377, is a western are gallery that is
gaining national acclaim.
The Hoka Hey Foundry and Gallery, owned by
Wade and Pat Cowan, has been in business since
1975.
Cowan, a lifelong Dublin resident, considers
bronze casting a meeting of art and science.
"Bronze castors have to learn to walk in the
artist's footsteps without leaving tracks,"
Cowan said.
His foundry is his contribution to the Western
art world, he said.
Walking into the gallery, one is awestruck by
the sight of a 9-foot statue of John Wayne. The
sculptor, Robert Sommers of Glen Rose, has
captured the spirit, the strength, experessions of
pride and determination of the Duke."
Sommers had done another work of Wayne, a
bust, that he was going to present to the Duke as
a sign of his admiration.
Upon Wayne's death, the bust was three-
fourths finished and Sommers shelved it. Later,
he finished it and it was seen by Waynes' sons.
Michael Wayne said that he had found the ar-
tist he wanted to do a statue of his father.
Sommers was found and commissioned to do a
statue for the John Wayne. Airport in Orange
County, California. When the statue was unveil-
ed in California, it received the praise and
acknowledgement it deserved.
Ethan Wayne, his youngest son, said that it
was the first time he had seen his Dad since he
passed away.
Chuck Robertson, Wayne's stunt-man for
most of Wayne's career, told Sommers that he
had been trying to imitate that fomous walk of
the Duke's for 40 years, and Sommers had cap-
tured it in .a snap.
To look at the statue surely brings back
memories of Saturday afternoon matinees and
late night movies, where John Wayne battled
evil ana made a believer out of whoever doubted
him.
The foundry employs a bakers dozen, many of
whom have worked there since its opening in
1975. The Cowans have trained some of the
workers to do the meticulous art-crafting that
required tremendous c ncentration.
Hoka Hey" is from the Sioux Indian dialect,
meaning "it s a good day to do whatever you are
involved in."
Hoka Hey!
t~ n ' ii 1 "S'&SStfVs?
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Master mold: beginnings of a work of art
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Nine-foot statue of John Wayne
Photos by Toby Hooper
Nancy Couch and No la Waymack at work at gallery
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The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Ed. 1 Tuesday, September 27, 1983, newspaper, September 27, 1983; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth141537/m1/10/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.