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Montana artist honored for “Take it Easy” statue

Posted at 7:04 AM, Sep 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-27 09:24:10-04

A legendary Montana artist is setting off for Winslow, Arizona for the 20th Anniversary of his most famous work.

Twenty years ago, Ronald Adamson got an email asking for a proposal to do a sculpture from the Eagles song “Take it Easy.”

“They wanted a 70’s individual with the haircut not too long, not too short, blue jeans. Basically, the guy is wearing a vest standing on the corner. A guitar player is not going to let his guitar touch the ground, so he balances it on his boot, that kind of thing,” Adamson said.

A staple in the art scene from Great Falls to Seattle, Adamson says he mostly represents a little bit of the art you see in northwest Montana.

“Born and raised in Libby. I learned how to carve while I worked in a lumber mill,” Adamson said.

The sculptor who works in wood, stone, and bronze now has a long drive ahead of him.

He’s headed to Winslow, Arizona for the 20th anniversary of the installation of his Bronze Statue on Route 66 where travelers can’t help but stop to snap pictures, making it an icon.

“He’s right on the corner, so when you’re in your car you look and his head is tilted so he is looking at the cars and behind him is a mural of a girl in a flatbed Ford and it looks like a window reflection. And she’s looking at him so the entire corner of the block is from that song “Take is Easy.” So it’s a song that made a location famous, as well that made that town famous…and me,” Adamson said.

Adamson said he expects to arrive in Arizona on Thursday for the celebration over the weekend.