“In Good Hands” is a part of the Capitol Avenue Bronze public art collection . . donated to the City of Cheyenne by private individuals, organizations or companies. For more information about the Capitol Avenue Bronze Project, visit Deselms Fine Art at https://deselmsfineart.com

Robin Laws is a gifted sculptor and prairie woman. Her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother were all born and lived in the prairie land of Wyoming and Colorado. Robin lives on 80 acres of rangeland near Cheyenne. People who are close to the land tend toward reverence.

You can see that in Robin’s works, both in her human figures and her animals. They are carefully observed depictions of subtle moments and relationships – not the moments caught by a spotlight chasing spectacle, but rather the fleeting moments that capture character.

The Denver Post described her work as “subtly striking.” Southwest Art magazine described one of her works as “sweet and subtle without being cloying or saccharine.” Put another way, there’s a certain reverence in them for real life. Her works have been exhibited at the Biennale Internazionale dell’Arte Contemporanea in Florence, Italy.

She created In Good Hands as a memorial to her dearest pets and creatures, all of whom she named and all of whom she missed. In the sculpture, an angel embraces one of the smallest of the creatures, nestling it near her breast, as the others gather in pool around her feet. The angel’s wings open in seeming embrace of all those creatures that Robin sought placed “in good hands.”

The statue was donated by Nathaniel Trelease, chairman of the Capital Avenue Bronze Commission, and his family in loving memory of his mother Ceralia Solis who passed away in August 2021. It was one of the first statues installed on Capitol Avenue. It stands in front of the Cathedral of St. Mary, the 116-year-old gothic church that has for generations been the home church of the family.

The capstone on which the pedestal rests is unique among the capstones and pedestals in the bronze project. Don Jones, the master mason who worked on the renovation of the Capitol and is also the mason of the bronze project, had a small amount of sandstone left over from Capitol renovation. He fashioned that sandstone into the capstone for In Good Hands.

Nathaniel reflects all those in his mother’s care, preeminently her children, were always in good hands. He hopes that the bronze project, which he has had the great privilege of leading, has similarly been in good hands.

To learn more about the Capitol Avenue Bronze Project, visit this link . For more information about each artist, sponsoring a bronze, or becoming a donor/supporter at any level, please contact Harvey Deselms at Deselms Fine Art, located at 303 E. 17th Street Cheyenne. Email is [email protected] or call at 307 432 0606