By Alesha Damerville

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – "Parents tell their kids to become a doctor. My parents didn't say that to me. They saw that I wouldn't make it as a doctor. ‘Become an artist,’ they told me." – Richard Galusha 

Galusha took that advice to heart and did exactly that. "I was going to be that no matter what. Every decision I made was made for the art," he says. Galusha went to school for art, brought those skilss from Texas to Steamboat Springs in 1986. "Steamboat is an ideal place for an artist. It's a great community and a creative environment away from the big city," he says.

Galusha spent 20-years as an art teacher at Steamboat Springs High School, and in those two decades he inspired dozens of other artists. 

Continuing on his path of inspiration, Galusha recently published his first book, "An Artist's Journey: Richard Galusha," featuring a vast collection of his life and artwork throughout the years. 

The release of the book is paired with Galusha’s retrospective, which on display at the Steamboat Art Museum through Saturday, April 11. He opted for publishing a book as opposed to the traditional catalog found at most retrospectives. Galusha also created the book for his family, so they would have something of historical value showcasing his work. 

Galusha and his team spent two months putting the book together. "It was tough," he says. "It's a lot longer than we originally intended, but I'm very happy with the results."

What's in the 228-page book? Galusha dedicated any spare energy to painting his passions, beginning with Western heritage and moving on to landscapes, followed by a diverse range of focuses from sports to various places he's traveled around the world, his favorites being Greece and Africa.

“An Artist’s Journey” is more than just a photo book – it’s a life story told through art.

For more information on Richard Galusha, visit www.wildhorsegallery.com