Wilbert Verhelst, American (1923 - 2012)

Wilbert Verhelst was born on June 19, 1923, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He served in the military in second world war. In 1956, he graduated from the University of Denver with a Master of Fine Arts.

Verhelst created an extensive body of work containing sculptures, paintings and drawings while also serving the art community as a teacher and curator of art. From 1948 to 1960, he served as an art instructor and curator at the Denver Art Museum.

In 1968, together with sculptor Roger Kotoske, painter Beverly Rosen, and businessman Bernie Rosen, Wilbert Verhelst founded the Burns Sculpture Park in Denver. The Park exhibits an impressive collection of modern sculptures.

Wilbert Verhelst established a sculpture program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and served as Professor of Art from 1965 to 1985. In 1986, he become an Emeritus Professor. He passed away in 2012, at the age of 89.

The art of Wilbert Verhelst is or has been exhibited in museums, art association galleries, universities, municipal buildings, and corporate locations including but not necessarily limited to the following:

City of Denver, Denver, CO
Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA
Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE
Mississippi Art Association, Hattiesburg, MS
Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM
Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, WI
PepsiCo, Frito Lay, Plano, TX
Pollock Gallery, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
San Francisco Art Association, San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, CA
Sarasota Art Association, Sarasota, FL
Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, IA
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Dallas, TX