Ron Chapel

Ron Chapel

July 3, 1948 - January 25, 2021

Ron Chapel, born Ronald Lee Chapel in Glenwood Springs, CO, to Dula and Norva Chapel, was a bronze sculptor of extraordinary skill. He died suddenly at his hacienda in Cuidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato Mexico, where he lived for the past six years with the love of his life, Dr. Vanessa Kelly, and their two dogs and three cats. Before moving to Guanajuato, they lived the previous 16 years aboard a forty-six-foot sailboat, Two Shadows, originally docked in Oakland, CA. From there, Vanessa commuted across the bay to the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine to work as a professor in clinical psychology as Ron rode his bicycle to his nearby studio, where he sculpted, welded, and patinaed metal for clients and galleries across the country. He also lived and sculpted for 11 years in a geodesic dome in the mountains near Nederland, CO. He was an integral part of the art community in Boulder and in Colorado, in general.

As a young man, he created a series of 40 bronze sculptures, which were exhibited in a one-man show at the Saks Gallery in Denver. This marked the beginning of many successful shows in Chapel's career. To better understand the process of bronze casting, he began working at Quest Foundry, Inc., in Boulder, where he not only became Vice-President but met his future life partner, Vanessa. In December 1984, he was invited to lecture on his sculpture and casting techniques at three universities in the People's Republic of China. There, he met Chinese painter Shang Ding, thus beginning a friendship that spanned 36 years, right up to the time of his death.

Chapel bequeaths to the world a legacy of sculpture, including outdoor pieces on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, CO; the Cherry Creek Mall in Denver, CO; the Loveland Civic Center Plaza, CO; Art on the Corner in Grand Junction, CO; the Breckinridge Public Art Collection (where he was awarded the installation by the City from more than 100 applicants); Galleria San Francisco in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato Mexico; and countless private and corporate collectors domestically and abroad.

Ron and his masterful body of work live on in perpetuity and are a testament to a life immersed in creativity and the art spirit. He drew inspiration from nature and its many inhabitants-owls, herons, mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, buffalo-and also from Jungian psychology. A vivid dream inspired his later turn toward abstract pieces, such as "The Center," a 17-foot sculpture installed in Little Rock, AR, constructed of stainless steel, stacked glass, cast glass, marble, and gold leaf.

Ron graduated from Grand Junction High School in 1966. He attended Mesa College on an art scholarship and then Colorado State University to study metalsmithing.

A humble man of few words, Ron leaves behind his beloved wife and companion, Vanessa Kelly; brothers, Steve (Stephanie) Chapel of Grand Junction, and Tom (Donna) Chapel of Ft. Collins; cousins, Rick (Donna) Chapel of Highlands Ranch and Terry (Robert) Schlauger of Grand Junction; nephews, Luke (Kimberly) Violett and Josh (Trysha) Chapel; nieces, Jessica (Casey) Dean and Koli Chapel; aunt, Dora Chapel of Grand Junction; special friend, Clarissa Pinkola Estes of Denver, and countless friends and admirers across the U.S. and Mexico. His parents, Dula and Norva Chapel; aunt, Rita Mosher; and nephew, Kuper Chapel, preceded him in death.