Casper Artist Chris Navarro Turns 40 Years Of Vision Into Monumental Art

When you meet someone for the first time, you never know how the initial interaction will go. Will it be awkward and weird, with uncomfortable silence? When I sat down with Casper artist Chris Navarro, it was none of those. It was the most interesting, educational, and entertaining meeting I've had in a long time. You can listen to our conversation at the bottom of this article.

Chris has such a fascinating art portfolio, history, and story that, if you've never met him or looked into his art, I'd encourage you to do so.

His father served in the military and took his family around the world, and Chris went to high school in Spain. That's where he got involved with rodeo, specifically bull riding. When it was time to head to college, he chose Casper College here in Wyoming. He'd never been here before, but knew this was where cowboys and rodeo were, and that's where he wanted to be.

After college, he worked in the oil fields until March 1986, when he decided to do art full time; for the last 40 years, art is exactly what he's been doing. You can see Chris' art all over Wyoming, in different parts of the country, and anytime on his website, ChrisNavarro.com.

Even though he's been at it for 40 years and he's 70 years old, you won't catch him slowing down at all. One of the things we talked about in our nearly hour-long conversation is that if you are passionate about your craft, you'll do it as long as you can. When talking to him, you can tell that passion hasn't faded at all, and burns as intensely now as it did the day he quit his oil field job.

Most everyone would love to leave their mark on the world, and Chris has definitely made an impact that people will admire for years to come.

You can see his 3 bucking horse-and-rider statues at the University of Wyoming, the "Bolt from the Blue" Falcon at the Air Force Academy, a large "Essence of Rex" dinosaur, and the "Spirit of the Thunderbird," both on the Casper College campus.

When you arrive at Cheyenne Frontier Days, you'll see Chris' memorial piece to legendary bull rider Lane Frost. Head to Worland, WY, and visit the Washakie Museum, and in front stands Chris' 20-foot-tall Columbian Mammoth.

Needless to say, in the last 40 years, Chris has been busy.

In the last year, Chris has finished six major projects. Yes, six large, time-consuming, strenuous, historic projects standing in six separate locations across three states.

Chris' recently completed work:

• Mustang Warrior — 8-foot P-51 Mustang, Saratoga, Wyoming
• A Deep Seat and a Long Rein — 16-foot bucking horse and cowboy, University of Wyoming
• Society of Squirrels — sixteen Lifesize squirrels, South Georgia Medical Center Wellness Park, Valdosta, Georgia
• Dreamcatcher — 9-foot raven and dreamcatcher, Sedona, Arizona
• Fallen Comrade — soldier at a battlefield cross, Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery, Evansville, Wyoming
• Wall of Renewal — 8-foot by 120-foot wind-turbine-blade sculpture with 40 painted mustangs, Esterbrook, Wyoming

Yep, these were all finished within the last year.

The last one on that list, the "Wall of Renewal," was recently completed at the gate of the Wyoming Rescue Mission's Recovery Ranch in Esterbrook, WY. The Windborne Wyoming Mustang Mural is 120 feet long and 8 feet high. Each section of the repurposed wind turbine blade features hand-painted Wyoming Mustangs by local artists and Wyoming Rescue Mission Residents who volunteered to help Chris by putting their painting skills to the test.

The Connection Between the Wall of Renewal and the Wyoming Rescue Mission is a shared story of hope, and strength. This project is a collaborative journey uniting purpose, beauty, and community.

The opening reception honoring those who helped with this project will be held on Thursday, September 3, at ART 321's Thursday Art Walk, 321 W. Midwest Ave in Casper, beginning at 5:30 p.m., and everyone is invited.

You can listen to my fantastic conversation with Casper Artist Chris Navarro here.