Several sculptures by the late William “Bill” Morrow — a man recognized for his artistic achievements in the greater Grand Valley, particularly in Carbondale and Grand Junction — are returning to Carbondale to settle into permanent homes. The Insane-A-Cycle, Molecular Inquisition, Flight and Butterfly & Lily were donated respectively to the Town of Carbondale, The Sopris Sun and KDNK. These metallic works of art were dedicated by Morrow months before his passing in June and will remain in Carbondale for the foreseeable future.
“We’ll be hearing more from the Carbondale Public Art Commission about the return of the Insane-A-Cycle, and that’s a biggie,” Kay Clarke, a friend of Morrow’s and proud owner of 11 of his works, told The Sopris Sun. “Like the Art Around Town Sculpture Walk, we hope there will be a Morrow Art Walk so people can see his work sprinkled around town. As Bill embraced Carbondale, we can, in turn, embrace him by appreciating and celebrating his work.”
Morrow, a second-generation Coloradan, was born and raised in Rifle. In conversation with The Sopris Sun last year, while preparing for a final auction of his life’s work, he said he’d always been an artist. He described a happy childhood where he was essentially allowed to create art whenever he wanted, using various mediums. He went on to serve two tours with the U.S. Navy as a certified electrician. Upon returning to the Valley, he began creating art in more experimental ways.
Metal working came from Morrow’s unbridled curiosity and desire to create, coupled with a brother who would bring him scrap metal from the car dealership where he worked. Morrow also repurposed broken metal tools and any discarded item he could find while working as a professional blacksmith. In an act of alchemy, he’d turn unwanted objects into artwork oozing with character, story and whimsy, no matter the size.
“I didn’t consider myself an artist at that time, I was just playing,” Morrow stated in a September interview. “I played for a living.”
Morrow was a founding father of Grand Junction’s Art on the Corner program and participated in the 40th anniversary last year. His art lives on in many homes from Aspen and Carbondale to across the world.
In addition to his metal sculptures — A Split-Second of Free Air, Another Dead Soldier, The Royal Ass and Windsong among them — Morrow wrote poetry, sometimes accompanying his pieces, building worlds and metaphors from the sculptures and carefully marrying words of fun with words of wisdom.
For example, the story of The Money Bug, one of Morrow’s first major projects. He developed it using raw materials provided by a friend who, unfortunately, had to shut down his business after discovering a new technique with wire-fed welding equipment.
“The Money Bug is a funny bug,” Morrow wrote. “It can get you just like any drug. The more you get, the more you need. It can fill your soul with fear and greed. The more you get, the more you need.”
What set Morrow apart as an artist? Clarke noted his wizardry in transforming materials into something delightful. “The top fins on Scraposaurs Junx are leftovers from frames Morrow made for Michael Ohnmacht’s stained glass art,” Clarke described. “Scrappy lives in our front yard, across from the Smithy, and he is wildly loved, especially by kids.”
Morrow was 79 years old when he passed and spent his last days in good company with smaller projects to keep busy and many home-cooked meals from his friend and collaborator, Nancey Glass.
Glass has a background in holistic health and nutrition, as well as website building. They became close after meeting at a party two years ago. Glass not only helped Morrow with a nutrition plan, errands and getting to and from appointments and events, she also built a webpage where a digital biography for Morrow was published in preparation for an auction held last year, wherein the proceeds from his artwork were set aside for his grandchildren.
“He called me his ‘Girl Friday’ because of the Cary Grant movie where Rosalind Russell did everything for him. I was that for him, as far as being there, getting his groceries and nutritional support and taking him shopping,” Glass shared, shortly after Morrow’s passing. “As it progressed and we were done with the website and the auction and everything, I became more of a call-me-whenever-he-needed kind of person.”
The auction, according to Glass, went well, minus a hiccup. The top bidder for the Insane-A-Cycle backed out of the deal. As his health began to decline, Morrow decided to return the iconic piece back to the town it called home for nearly a decade, as an act of appreciation.
“It’s a genuine gift from his heart to Carbondale,” Glass expressed. “I know it will be beloved for many years to come.” She called Morrow a “one-of-a-kind gift to humanity.”
A remembrance of Morrow for friends and fans will be held at the Carbondale Library on July 12 at 2pm. Attendees are encouraged to wear overalls as a nod to the late and great man’s fashion sensibilities.