In Perpetuity: On the passing of David Govedare and Dann Hall

David Govedare passed away recently.

Who? you might ask?

“Govedare created The Guardians of the Lake,” you might respond to someone who frequents North Idaho. Who, if you said "the giant feathers on Northwest Boulevard by Riverstone," would suddenly smile in recognition. Have you been to Riverfront Park? Then you’d know Govedare’s The Joy of Running Together, where 40 welded figures are better known as the Bloomsday Runners.

Grandfather Cuts Loose the Ponies, also known as the Wild Horse Monument, might be Govedare’s most famous work. For nearly 40 years, 15 metal horses have stood frozen mid-stride atop the bluff overlooking Interstate 90 near Vantage, likely prompting many a bleary-eyed driver to wonder: are those real? Maybe you’ve hiked to the top, marveling at the view of the Columbia River below. Or maybe you’ve wanted to and thought: someday.

Like a sentence suspended in mid-air, someday ended for Govedare in November, but not before he filled Trails End Gallery in his hometown of Chewelah with new small-scale metal sculptures and limited edition jewelry. Visit Facebook: Trails-End-Gallery for more info.

Dann Hall passed away recently.

Who? you might ask.

The son of Ross and Hazel Hall, who ran Hallan’s Gallery, which might not help either, unless you’re familiar with Sandpoint, Idaho. Ross Hall’s photographs from the '30s onward offer a definitive visual lexicon of north Idaho life: loggers, snow-covered streets and mountain slopes, herds of elk across an unspoiled landscape, smiling people cavorting on Lake Pend Oreille.

In much the same way Ansel Adams’ photographs captured the American West, the elder Hall’s photos enamored existing residents and newcomers to the ruggedly beautiful region.

A photographer in his own right, Dann Hall carried on his parents’ legacy — his mother, Hazel, was also a photographer and integral to the family business — shepherding some 60,000 images in the collection. That included the careful conversion of older technology into newer, allowing the collection to live on, theoretically, forever.

Take a step back in time to early 20th century Sandpoint at rosshallcollection.com.

Walking through Riverfront Park recently, it’s difficult to imagine the beloved space without artwork. Same goes for the walls of the buildings in which we live, work, worship, play, learn and connect with our fellow humans. So the passing of two people whose influence has been and will continue to be felt for generations is definitely worth a momentary pause.