Artist Gary Hawk's Echoes of the Trail Painting Print

Award-winning western water color artist Gary Hawk of Iola, Kansas painted this limited edition "Echoes of the Trail" and donated the first 10 prints to us, most of which we have auctioned at Echoes of the Trail fund raisers. A few low-numbered, signed prints are still available through Echoes of the Trail.

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The first two donors of $500-$1,000 will receive print number seven or eight. The first donor of $1,000 or more will receive print number four. Donations may be mailed to Echoes of the Trail c/o 2280 Hackberry Rd., Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. Higher numbered prints may be purchased from Gary Hawk's web site. Gary donates $15 to Echoes of the Trail each time he sells one of the prints.

Iola artist Gary Hawk with Fort Scott Community College President, Clayton Tatro, and Print No. 3 of his Echoes of the Trail painting donated to the college by the Echoes of the Trail Steering Committee. Photo by Gary Wimmer of Fulton, Kan.

In 1999, the Echoes of the Trail Cowboy Gathering steering committee commissioned famous Iola watercolor artist Gary Hawk to paint a picture that reflects the meaning of the cowboy poetry and music gathering held at Fort Scott Community College each year. Gary painted a scene of cowboys herding longhorns across a creek, using Echoes of the Trail founders Arnold Schofield and Johnny Kendrick as models, along with Uniontown area cowboys Dave Carey and Gary Harvey. Hawk says he was traveling a Kansas country road when he spotted a creek and "draw" and pulled over to sketch the scene for use in the painting.

From its beginning in 1997, Gary Hawk has been a supporter of the Echoes of the Trail event held the second weekend of June each year. In fact, he generously donated the first ten prints of the original painting to Echoes of the Trail. The committee has auctioned several of those prints, and now offers the remaining three to donors of $500 or $1,000. The lowest number print will go to the donor of the higher amount according to event organizer Judy Howser.

Fort Scott community College has supported Echoes of the Trail from the beginning, providing the venue and much more help as part of its community service mission. This year Echoes organizers decided to present the Hawk print No. 3 to the college in appreciation for all their much needed support. Committee members say there would be no gathering without FSCC.

During the event opening Friday evening, June 13th this year, FSCC Development Director Daryl Roller accepted the print from the event founders on behalf of the college. President Tatro was unable to attend because he was at the college rodeo finals, and Echoes of the Trail founders did not want him to be left out. Tatro has said he was raised in the country and it is apparent that he is a fan of all things western. So the founders invited Gary Hawk to present the painting to the college president in person on July 15th. Tatro expressed gratitude for the painting and showed Hawk and event organizers the prominent place where it will hang in the FSCC Administrative Building.