94 SIDELINES OCTOBER 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Michael Henington’s
Passion for
Creativity
By Lauren R. Giannini
M
ichael Henington discovered his passion for creating
sculptures in 1990 while managing a large gallery in
Santa Fe, New Mexico. “I became interested and I
taught myself,” said Michael, whose own unique style evolved
from the influences of contemporary artists such as sculptor Star
Liana York, sculptor and painter Buck McCain, and the Apache
sculptor, painter and teacher Alan Houser.
“I sculpt mainly animals and a few people — one of my favorites
is a pride of mountain lions that are life-sized,” Michael said. “My
biggest sellers over the years have been pigs. They have been
collected by a lot of celebrities — Randy Travis, Ronnie Dunn of
Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and Steve Cropper of the Blues
Brothers who wrote “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” with Otis
Redding .”
Celebrities and many other visitors to Santa Fe find their way to
Henington Fine Art Gallery, located on historic Canyon Road, one
of the nation’s best-known streets for fine art with 130 galleries.
“I get two days a week to work on my sculptures if I’m lucky,”
said Michael. “With 57 artists, we stay busy.” Henington Fine Art
Gallery’s stable of top painters and sculptors includes Harold T.
(“H”) Holden, whose sculptures often run larger than life, with 20
monuments created in as many years.
“I’ve represented Harold Holden for 25 years — he’s quite
fabulous,” said Michael. “He’s in the Cowboy Hall of Fame in
Oklahoma City, a member of Cowboy Artists of America, and in
November he’s being inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
e
Michael Henington
Michael Henington with one
of his horse sculptures. A
pig, one of his best sellers,
sits nearby.
Photos courtesy of Michael
Henington
