County of studio: Crook County
location of studio: Main St. (WY 24), Rogues Gallery and Antiques, Hulett
Phone: Store – 307-467-5849; Cell – 805-400-7706
Open 10am to Midnight- 7 days a week (May to Oct.)
"Bob Coronato was born in Newton, New Jersey. His mother was an executive Assistant, and his father worked as a C.P.A. As a boy he loved to draw and Paint. He would stare at the paintings of the "Old West" in history books and was fascinated by that culture and way of life. He and everyone around him new he wanted to be an artist. While still in High school Coronato began painting murals and commission paintings for money and trade.
"When Coronato was 18 he moved to New York City and took a summer course in Illustration at Parsons School of Art and Design and New School for Social Research. He realized he needed to be closer to the subject matter he always wanted to paint and applied to Otis Parsons sister school in California. In 1991, while still attending Otis Parsons in L.A., Coronato took a vacation to Wyoming and South Dakota. He visited the High Plains Heritage museum in Spearfish South Dakota which had advertised that they had original Charles Russell and Frederic Remington oil paintings.
"After not seeing any paintings, as they had advertised, he talked to the curator, Leo Giacometto. Giacometto told him that the collection had been pulled. The museum was to be re-opened and was to have a grand re-opening the following spring. Coronato asked if he could contribute some paintings for the event. Giacometto said that if he liked the paintings he would give Coronato a show during the re-opening.
"Coronato preceded to turn every assignment into Western subject matter oil on canvas, to prepare for the show. Coronato tortured his instructors by doing this. If the assignment was to paint an advertisement for an automobile, Coronato would paint a covered wagon. After Graduating from Otis Parsons with his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Coronato returned to Spearfish South Dakota, and was granted his first museum show at the age of 23.
"After graduating college Bob decided it was essential for his career and subject matter that he move closer to it. Coronato packed up his things and moved to a small town with a population of less than 400 in the heart of "Cowboy Country", Hulett, Wyoming. Bob moved there based on a recommendation given to him at the museum show in South Dakota by a Saddle Maker named Carson Thomas. Carson had a saddle shop named The Stockman in Hulett. Thomas offered the "Starving Artist" space above his saddle shop to work and live in while Coronato got his "feet under him". Thomas turned out to be invaluable to the direction the young artists career would take.
"Thomas introduced Coronato to many of the Ranches in the area and soon Coronato was free labor at each of them in exchange for the chance to capture the life of modern day Cowboys. His days were spent at brandings, helping to gather cattle, or just fixing fence on ranches as big as 300,000 acres. His nights were spent painting the events he had witnessed that day. One such Cowboy named George White, foremen of the I.P.Y ranch, and his wife Vicki took Coronato under his wing. They made sure he didn't "get himself killed", as George would say. He was always welcome on their "place", and much of his early work comes from events and scenes from that ranch.
"After moving to Wyoming and diving head first into the "cowboy" way of life Coronato was introduced to Tom Waugh. Tom is an artist specializing in Native American subject matter. Tom is also a dealer in Native American artifacts and introduced Coronato to the world of collecting and painting this subject matter. Coronato began studying American Indian culture, past and present. He began collecting American Indian artifacts and soon he was drawn to the many reservations throughout this corner of America. Hulett is in a hub very close to the Crow, Cheyenne, and Sioux Indian reservations.
"Coronato started visiting the different reservations. During these visits he witnessed the beauty and tradition that was still in practice at these locations. Coronato admires and respects the American Indians and their strength as a society. He wanted to share his experiences through his work and began painting the modern life on the reservations through depicting their practice of traditions. Coronato's work evolved from painting historical scenes as a young artist, to only painting what he witnesses in the present. He is helping to document the modern day culture, practices, and traditions of the real Cowboys and Indians of present day. Coronato was soon invited to attend Crow Fair on the Crow Agency in Montana and other ceremonies held on reservations throughout Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota.
"After Coronato had spent many years painting in oils, he decide to utilize his drawing skills. Coronato had always been influenced by Edward Borein and admired his Intaglio Copper Plate Etchings. Coronato began making plates of his own and printing them himself in his studio in Wyoming in the late 1990s. Coronato is very successful Intaglio printmaker and has produced numerous images utilizing this skill. He was dubbed the "Leonardo da Vinci of Cowboy Art" by the New York Post, and has mastered the skill of original printmaking" ~ Wikipedia
Not shown or discussed in the Wikipedia article, is that Bob has a great sence of humor, as yuou can guess from how the outside of his studio id decorated.
An old car, hundreds of bleached antlers, some open caskets, a bell and wagon wheels just to name a few.
His sign reads open 23 hours a day...not really but you get the humor part.