David Lemon, a member of the Gallup, New Mexico Indian Artist’s Group “Gathering of the Masters,” is both a compelling storyteller and inspired sculptor.

His family originally settled in Utah in 1848, and through stories shared by his father and grandparents, Lemon developed a deep fascination with the Old West. Encouraged by his parents, he pursued art from an early age despite being described by a fifth-grade teacher as a student who preferred drawing cowboys and Indians over classroom work.

Lemon’s sculpting career began in high school when he enrolled in a ceramics class. Struggling with pottery, his teacher encouraged him to try sculpting terra-cotta clay instead. His early success earned him three scholarships. He later served twelve years in the U.S. Navy, sculpting only as a hobby while gradually developing his personal style. In 1977, he entered a sculpture in the Utah State Fair, winning first place and launching his professional career.

A formative memory from his youth continues to inspire his work. Visiting an elderly uncle in the 1950s on the Kansas plains, Lemon recalls stories of Jesse James and Frank James tied to a metal ring embedded in a tree—an image that stayed with him and helped shape his sense of history and storytelling through sculpture.

Lemon’s work reflects the American experience, honoring the people who built and endured life in the West. His bronzes are held in private and public collections across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, and are part of the permanent collection of the Springville Museum of Art. His work has been featured in Southwest Art Magazine, Western Horseman Magazine, and Art of the West Magazine, and included in Contemporary Western Artists.

His award-winning sculptures have been exhibited internationally, including a solo show in Jakarta, Indonesia. Private commissions are installed in prominent homes throughout the western United States, including one featured on HGTV’s Homes Across America, where his work was prominently showcased. He is also proud of a Veterans Memorial bronze installed in his hometown of Ennis, Montana.