XIITravelers

John and Ethan Houser, Father and son, have taken on the Twelve Traveler project together and have grown with the project. These two Santa Fe artists have not taken on the Twelve Traveler project not to make money but rather to make a concept started by Tom Lea to life and to give back to the public and society in general. Interestingly the artistic blood lines run deep in the Housers’ since John Houser’s father, Ethan’s Grandfather Ivan Houser helped sculpt the iconic faces of our Presidents into Mount Rushmore. This Father/Son team is working to help revitalize downtown El Paso, contribute to the artistic air of the city, while educating the public on figures of Southwestern history. A noble project adopted by an artistic family with a vision to educate and provide the public with a link to the past all through art.

John Sherrill Houser

John was born in South Dakota where his father Ivan Houser was assistant sculptor to Guzon Borglum during the early years of carving Mt. Rushmore. His family moved to Portland Oregon when he was five.

He graduated from Lewis and Clark College receiving an Alumni Graduate Fellowship in UCLA and an award for independent European studies. Later he assisted on a monument to the Pony Express and did anatomical dissection at Harvard Medical School.

He has traveled extensively, dedicated to interpreting the human condition through direct experience. He has lived and worked among many diverse groups.

His work has been featured in many publications including the New York Times, London Sunday Telegraph, Der Spiegel and CNN Television News.

He currently maintains a studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His website is: www.artistwebsite.com.

Ethan Taliesen Houser

Ethan Taliesin Houser was born in Tucson, Arizona, 1972. He received his first instruction from his father, sculptor John Sherrill Houser. As an adolescent he gained a thorough understanding of the bronze casting process by working in a local foundry. Following studio and art history courses in Tucson he pursued two years of independent studies in Japan.

He assisted his father on a number of monuments including a 14′ figure of “Fray García de San Francisco, Founder of the Pass of the North, 1659,” for El Paso, Texas. He served as Associate Sculptor to his father in creating “The Equestrian”.

Taliesin currently resides in Santa Fe and is now the project co-sculptor. He has exhibited in Santa Fe, El Paso, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Mexico City. His work has been featured in national and international publications.