A RETROSPECTIVE ON ART OF THE LATE STEPHEN LYMAN

Ryan Fiske and his wife collected many pieces of Sandpoint artist Stephen Lyman’s “firelight” work, so much so they called their cabin, where the art was hung, their Lyman cabin. But Lyman’s work covered much more than firelight, and the couple added some of his Christmas pictures to their collection after a chance meeting with a gallery owner from Pullman, and were pulled to learn more.

“[Stephen Lyman] published 60 works before his death, and his wife Andrea published 17 more of his works afterward,” said Fiske, a civil engineer when not collecting art, “and I started thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be really neat to see it all in one place?’ That’s where it started.”

“It” is the upcoming presentation of all 60 of Lyman’s published pieces at an event to be held June 2nd and 3rd, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., at the University of Idaho Organic Agriculture Center at 10881 N. Boyer in Sandpoint. The presentation is free to the public, but donations to offset costs are gladly accepted.

Lyman was well known for his limited-edition, fine art prints on nature and wildlife themes based on original works that were often enormous in size.

In 1996, about a month before Lyman died, Sandpoint Magazine publisher Chris Bessler interviewed him about a book Lyman had published on his work, “Into the Wilderness: An Artist’s Journey.” During that interview, Bessler asked Lyman why he was drawn to wilderness. “Ah, well, it’s hard to put into words. That’s why I put it into paintings,” Lyman told him. “Well, it’s something, I think, that inspires nearly everybody on some level. That’s why we have national parks. That’s why we have city parks. That’s why people like to be outdoors.” It was to be Lyman’s last interview. Lyman died just a few weeks later after falling into a steep gully at Yosemite National Park. (Read the interview at www.sptmag.com/lymaninterview.)

ABOVE: IT WAS PRINTS LIKE LYMAN’S “SUNSET FIRE” THAT FIRST DREW FISKE TO LYMAN’S WORK, AND EVENTUALLY INSPIRED THIS NEW SHOW. COURTESY PHOTO.

PREVIOUS PAGE: LYMAN EARNED RENOWN BEFORE HIS DEATH FOR HIS ARTWORK OF THE NATURAL WORLD. COURTESY PHOTO.

Now, Lyman’s body of work returns to Sandpoint as the first of what is planned to be five annual presentations; in 2024, the 17 prints published after his death will be included in the show. It is a chance for area residents to remember–to rediscover—a local artist named by U.S. Art magazine as the fourth most popular limited-edition print artist in the country.

– Trish Gannon

Historical Boat for Sale