Today, over 30 original works by 16 local, regional and nationally acclaimed artists
grace the walls. Watercolors, oil paintings, drawings in charcoal as well as pen and ink,
and Native American weavings and baskets comprise the collection of westernthemed art.
The first art works to be traded (and one-third of the total collection) were watercolor
and pen-and-ink drawings of area mines created on site by artist Jean Dreyer. Her son
Ron was a regular customer at the Ore House and, over time, he traded nine of her
drawings for Ore House meals. Many of these mining structures have given way to time
and the elements, so Jean’s drawings represent an act of preservation and a look into
the area’s mining history.
Since everyone needs to eat, word got out to artists that the Ore House was ‘artistfriendly’ and a venue to show their artwork in exchange for eating good food – and the
collection began to grow.
John Grow had never painted a train before so he used photographic slides of source materials to
layout the train mural, offering, “The train parts are all correct but not
proportional…every brush stroke is based on something real.”
In 1990, John was commissioned to paint a second mural that, according to him, would
“capture the essence of Durango…a truth about the industrial West excluding the
telephone and electrical wires.” So he set the mural’s scene on the street in downtown
Durango, 1900, with the smelter belching steam in the background. The mural is focused around a miner showing a large gold
nugget to a young girl. Also represented are a miner and his mule, a nod to the Ore
House logo.
John included cultural icons of the West: John
Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, Theodore Roosevelt, Ouray, and Tonto and the Lone Ranger.
Too, the artist pictured himself among an array of family, friends, other artists and the founders of the Ore House, Beatle Abshagen & Jim Arias.
John researched extensively, using historical photographs and documents to add
accuracy to architectural, technological and fashion details of the period. He used
artistic license and imagination, however, in reconfiguring the downtown streets and
building locations to serve the overall design, aesthetics and concept of the mural
painting.
Throughout the mural are imaginative details such as the partial words “Ore House”
reflecting in a second story window and a Columbine blossom, Colorado’s state flower,
nestled behind the ear of the mule. These inclusions remind us that the painting is based
upon but is not a historical scene.
In 1991, artist Jake Kelly painted a portrait of Joe Hotter, from the well-established
Durango ranching family. Jake recalled, “I had an A-frame up by Purgatory ski resort
and Joe Hotter’s ranch was right across the highway. Joe used to go out and whistle for
his quarter horses every morning, so I got to know him moderately well…he represented
the perfect cowboy to me.”
The Ore House catered a number of gatherings of the Cowboy Artists of America
(CAA), an exclusive organization whose purpose is “to authentically preserve and
perpetuate the culture of western life in Fine Art.”
It is only fitting that Joe Beeler’s painted skull with all those famous artist signers
embodying all that is iconic and beloved about the West, welcomes every visitor as
they enter the Ore House today.
From John Grow’s whimsical period portrayal of historic downtown Durango and Jean
Dreyer’s acts of preservation in pen-and-ink to paintings, watercolors, drawings and
weavings, the Ore House art collection offers unique views on western life and
something for just about everyone’s taste. So take some time to browse the walls,
actually or virtually, and enjoy the visual feast!
