Amy Laugesen, born and raised in Denver, grew up attending the annual National Western Stock Show, where she first hitched her imagination to horses. “The horse is a magnificent creature and my lifelong muse. Artists from ancient times explored object-making and painting to convey the animal’s spirit and to pay reverence to the horse’s beauty and relevance in their culture. When making my modern-day equine ‘relics,’ I stand on the shoulders of sculptors from bygone eras while incorporating my own personal history and the horse heritage of the iconic American West. Laugesen lives off-the-grid in Colorado’s rugged San Luis Valley, where she draws inspiration from expansive landscapes and resident horses.
Education:
Laugesen majored in art at Marymount Palos Verdes College (now Marymount California University) and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and Fine Arts Diploma from the Boston School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University.
Selected Exhibitions:
Laugesen’s expressive equine ceramic and mixed media sculptures have been included in Coors Western Art Show & Sale at the National Western Stock Show, Denver, CO; Badass Women of the West and Naturalism Now at Gallery 1261/The Rose Fredrick Project Space, Denver, CO; Unrestrained and San Luis Valley Views, Ann Korologos Gallery, Basalt, CO; 2022 Art & Object Denver Art Showcase; Colorado Governor’s Invitational Art Show, Loveland, CO; Weekend In the West, Evergreen, CO; Slater Memorial Museum exhibition, Norwich, CT; The Horse: Variations On A Theme exhibit, PACE Center, Parker, CO; Simulacrum: New Works in Clay, group show at Peter Durst Gallery, Denver, CO; Sculptural Dimensions, Contemporary Sculpture by Significant Colorado Artists, Republic Plaza, Denver, CO; Hayden Herd, Hayden Heritage & Spirit of the American West, Solo Display, Yampa Valley Regional Airport; Creative Capitol, Metro Denver & Boulder Colorado Exhibition, Denver International Airport and Colorado State Capitol, Office of the Lt. Governor.
Selected Collections:
Examples of Laugesen’s work can be found in various private and public collections around the country including the Museum of Outdoor Arts, Englewood, CO; Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, CO; Lowry Community Open Space, Denver, CO and Children’s Garden Montessori School, Denver, CO.
Awards and Honors:
Ranchlands Artist Gathering, Zapata Ranch, Mosca, CO; 2010 & 2012 residency in Hayden, CO through Colorado Art Ranch; 1st & 2nd place awards in the Sculpture Category 2014 Rocky Mountain Horse Expo Art In The Park Exhibition and 6th Place Award in the Sculpture Category in Ex Arte Equinus V: Images From the 5th Annual International Equine Art Competition of Art Horse Magazine 2011-2012.
Memberships:
Durst Studio, Denver, CO and Former Affiliate Member of the National Sculptors Guild, Loveland, CO.
News Articles:
Sidelines Magazine, July 2025, Modern Day Equine Relics
Western Art & Architecture, February/ March 2024, In the Studio: Clay & Cameras
Shoutout Colorado, 2024
Ranchlands Journal Interview, www.ranchlands.com ~ The History of the Horse in Art, July 25, 2023
Art & Object, January 11, 2022
Southwest Art, Soul Mates, March/April 2020
Metropolitan Denver Magazine, Fall 2013
Steamboat Today ~ Colorado Art Ranch Artposita, 2010
Representation:
Ann Korologos Gallery, Basalt, CO
