Charles Hardy: Selected Works, 1966-2025
A Retrospective Selection of Works Spanning Nearly Six Decades of Charles Hardy’s Artistic Practice
🌿 Exhibition Sponsors
Jodi & Mark Saro
Robbie & Chuck Breaux
Amy Nuernberg & Owen O'Fallon
📅 Key Dates & Reception Info
Exhibit Dates: Friday, March 6, 2026 – Friday, April 3, 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, March 6, 2026, 6:30pm–9:00pm
Location: The Art Center of Western Colorado
🖼️ About the Exhibition
Charles Hardy’s life served as an inspiration to many around him, whether through art mentorship or fly fishing. His work was often dark, at times. His mythological works were thematically dark, while his mezzotints were literally so. He was a master draftsman, a fact evident in his etchings.
Often the work he produced was small in scale, his linework impeccable—illustrating the subtle curves that indicate a hip, arm, or calf muscle with a single stroke. His mezzotints, often depicting animal skulls, are a testament to observation and his skill as a realist. They demonstrate his attention to light and shadow, capturing a still object and making its likeness eternal.
👤 About Charles Hardy
Hardy obtained his BA in Arts from Colorado State University and received his MFA from the University of Arizona in 1972.
Hardy joined the full-time faculty at Colorado Mesa University in 1979, where he taught sculpture, drawing, painting, and printmaking, and where his mentorship has left a lasting impression.
Hardy also served as an exchange professor in Japan at the Yamagata Design School. His time spent there and with foreign exchange students can be seen as an influence on his later works. Hardy stated, “I feel a kinship with the Japanese aesthetic and lifestyle.”
🌿 In Memory of Charles Hardy
Donations can be made in Hardy’s name to Hope West Hospice or The Art Center of Western Colorado.