Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame 2015 Inductee
From childhood, Jay Contway created art. He sculpted in Beaver Creek mud as a child, painted in watercolor and oil and drew in pen and ink. But it was sculpting (in artist’s clay) where he really came into his own. He built his foundry in 1972 where he was able to control the entire process of his work from clay to casting, and soon became a leading Western sculptor. The Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada gave Jay worldwide recognition.
For twenty-seven years, the rodeo committee awarded a Jay Contway bronze as part of their trophy program.
Jay closed his foundry in 2012, but continued to create. The creative process in him kept his mind buzzing all the time and within him, there was always a story being told, real or imagined. His hands just had to shape that story in clay – it was the clay that gave Jay the pleasure, his calm.
The sculpture Looking Back was truly a reflection of what was going on in Jay’s own life. He made it in 2013, at age 78. Jay’s body was slowing down; his strength was slipping away. But more importantly, his friends, his true cowboy social world, were being met with aging challenges, moving on, across the great divide, without him. Jay had three good friends in mind as he molded, scraped, and pushed his clay that year. All old cowboys who had worked cattle, ridden horses, and travelled the rodeo circuit as contestants or fans. Their lives were intertwined with Jay’s. They brought him laughter, companionship, and great knowledge.
Looking Back turned out to be a good seller. That pleased Jay because it was money in the bank, but as always, it meant more bronzes. Jay measured his own value in the response his art received from the world. If people liked his art, they liked the best part of him. They respected his talent. It pleased Jay to know the sculpture was evoking a memory inside a cowboy in the same way it evoked that kind of memory in him – remembering and treasuring the people who were truly important in life.
With Jay Contway’s passing in 2019, at the age of 84, he left behind an incredible artistic legacy, capturing the spirit of the cowboy way of life as he knew it. The fact that his art continues to be cast and celebrated speaks to his enduring influence. Jay Contway, The Artist, The Cowboy, His Legacy at The Calgary Stampede published in 2024, is a wonderful tribute, documenting his contributions to rodeo and Western culture. His trophy sculptures honoring rodeo winners solidified his place in history.
For more than fifty-eight years, Jay Contway’s Western art career has been generously supported by the people of the great state of Montana, and beyond. 2026 was the last public exhibition of his work. You are now invited to continue following Jay’s story at jaycontway.com, where Lynn Contway, Legacy Keeper, will share more of his life and legacy.
All future sales will be made privately, upon request, and casting will continue in Kalispell, Montana, at the foundry Jay used during the final years of his life.