Tafoya's Quest
Tafoya's Quest by Covelle Jones
Gift of Dr. Jon Williamson, in honor of his father, Dr. W. E. Williamson, Jr., M.D. / Catalog# 2019.025.001
Have you ever been amazed at how an artist can really capture movement in sculpture? We certainly are amazed by the movement in this sculpture by artist Covelle Jones entitled Tafoya’s Quest and completed in 1980.
José Piedad Tafoya was a Comanchero in the 1860s who traded with nomadic tribes, like the Comanche, on the Llano Estado. Tafoya traded in livestock and other goods with the Comanche and their allies, and frequently traveled between Texas and his native New Mexico. The sculpture depicts an active scene, with three riders brandishing their pistols at an unseen threat behind them. The sculpture is now on display in Taub Hall.