Gary Hawk has been honored across the country, from former presidents, heads of state, governors and countless others enamored with his ability to bring the Old West to life with his paintings and other art projects.
But rarely has Hawk been so overcome with emotion as he was Tuesday when his friends and family gathered to recognize his talents.
Hawk occasionally choked up and wiped away tears at a reception in the Bowlus Fine Arts Center where his art is on display this week in the Mary L. Martin Gallery.
Hawk spoke at the reception with wife Beverly and their three daughters, Deborah, Susan and Lori.
“I didn’t know that everybody was doing this,” Hawk admitted beforehand. “When they said, you had to come down to the Bowlus and I saw this, it put tears in my eyes. Words can’t express what this is like tonight.”
Dozens of Hawk’s prints are on display, including his iconic portrait of Milburn Stone, who played Doc on “Gunsmoke,” as was the ornament he painted that was displayed on the White House Christmas Tree.
A short video documenting Hawk’s career, first as a designer for a number of companies, including the old IMP Boats plant in Iola; then finally as a full-time artist.
“It was almost like we had two separate families growing up,” daughter Deborah Smail said with a smile. “I grew up with a corporate dad. But my sisters grew up with an entirely different background.”
Aside from this week, the video is on display at the Allen County Historical Society Museum in honor of Hawk’s recognition as a famous Allen Countian.
“We got to meet a lot of people,” Smail continued. “I came home from college one day, and sitting in our living room was Ron Evans, pilot of Apollo 17 (the last manned moon mission).
Beverly Hawk thanked the large crowd for attending Tuesday’s reception; roughly 40 were on hand at the start, with others filing in regularly over the next 90 minutes. “There’s no way without your support we could have done this.”
The exhibition runs in collaboration with this week’s celebration of Buster Keaton. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Reception has Hawk flying high
