Jonathan Edwards Bronson's Obituary
Jonathan Edwards Bronson, outstanding Utah and internationally famous sculptor passed away January 27, 2024, from chronic kidney disease. Born on April 7, 1952, he was the fifth child of Gene Bronson. Raised on farms and ranches the most concise description of Jonathan is that he was a wilderness man. The conservation of the wild places, animals, environment, indigenous peoples and their wisdom was his passion.
Jonathan was a gifted athlete in his youth and co-captain of his Jordan high school track and cross-country teams, and on the U of U cross country team. He was invited to the U.S. Olympic facility in Colorado Springs to train in the 1500-meter distance. In 1970 he was awarded the Utah Talent Scholarship as the most outstanding senior in the state of Utah. He choose to use his scholarship to attend medical school at the U. Under a limited program he was admitted into medical school out of high school. While there he worked on hematology research which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. He was the youngest person ever to have work published in that prestigious publication. He left medical school and decided to use his art talent to make his living. A gifted sculptor he was juried into the top international nature show the Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature by art critic David M. Lank. Countries were invited to jury their two most influential artists of the past 200 years. Mr. Lank chose to jury in John James Audubon and Jonathan Bronson to represent the United States. Mr. Lank said of Jonathan "To a degree that is almost unheard of in contemporary wildlife sculpture, Jonathan Bronson captures not a fleeting moment, but rather a sense of timelessness. Bronson's art is difficult to define because all the superlatives have been preempted to promote the outpouring of countless lesser craftsmen. Those who love the true wilderness will recognize in his work his profound sympathy with nature- And from those who have felt the essence of the creatures, this is surely the highest accolade. He has spent weeks scanning the Alaskan wilds; he has ridden alone across the true hidden wilderness; he has patiently "watched the wolf silently tracking the caribou. He has felt the same gusts that tilt the soaring wings of eagles. He has heard the winds that rustle prairie grasses and has been stung by the sleet and snow that mat the grizzly's fur. This first-hand, unhurried absorption of all those sights, sounds and smells of our outdoor heritage combines with the indefinable internal chemistry to flow through fingers shaping warm wax into models from which true art emerges. Technically, Bronson's metallurgy shows a staggering maturity beyond his years. His ability to infuse the sculptures with the "sense of species" is the highest amalgam of the artist and the field naturalist." He was also juried in the top Western Art Shows such as John Connolly's famous Western Heritage Show where he was the top seller in the sculpture category. In 1979 he was the quick draw artist at the Charles Russell Museum show. He won the Audubon gold medal for sculpture. A few of his notable VIP collectors include Prince Philip, Winthrop Rockefeller, Gene DuPont, President Reagan, Presidents George H. W. Bush, George Bush, Ferrari, Stein Ericksen, corporate collections, museums, etc., His work was in the White House and Senate Offices for many years and now in the Smithsonian and Presidential Libraries. He has collectors in 120 countries. He was generous with his talent and donated artwork to raise millions for conservation and charity. His sculpture “Springwinds” was auctioned by Sotheby's and Prince Philip at a gala in Toronto to raise money for narwhal conservation. He worked in South Africa with his dear friend Dr. Ian Player on Operation Rhino. Gary Player auctioned his sculpture at a celebrity Hollywood gala to raise money for transporting rhino from South Africa to zoos and large ranches in the United States to save the species from poachers. It is estimated that 80% of the white rhino today are alive because of Operation Rhino. Dr. Player and Sir Laurens Van Der Post commissioned Jonathan to sculpt the “Grey Owl Award” which was presented at the 4th World Wilderness Congress to the Premier of China's Forestry Department and the children of China for planting a billion trees. That World Congress was attended by 2,000 delegates from 64 countries. His Helping Hand Award he sculpted for the Utah Youth Village is given each year to the person or persons in Utah recognized for helping children. It has been awarded to among others Governors Leavitt and Cox, Gail and Gary Miller, and James and Beverly Sorenson. He sculpted the 2002 Olympic Countdown bronze and the life-size downhill Olympic skiers “Passion for the Gold” and “Go for the Gold” at the Olympic Legacy Bridge and Plaza. His sculpture of a Woolly Mammoth with a 6' fossilized ivory tusk he found on the Arctic Tundra won First Place People's Choice at the 1984 World's Fair.
Jonathan will be painfully missed by his beloved, Karen Liane, and those others who love him so deeply.
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