Demand for his work is so great he was forced to expand the facilities in Taos and Carefree, having doubled the size of the gallery in the Carefree Galleria.

“I’ve certainly been busy,” Challenger says. “The place in Carefree has been very, very good to us. The space below us came open and we acquired it and doubled the size of that gallery. The response has been tremendous.

“We even had to expand our staff. These are all positives.”

The Winter Exhibition promises a couple of new features not seen in Challenger’s Carefree gallery before.

“Besides several new originals, I’m bringing some works‑in‑progress,” he says. “They’ll be in different stages and will be available to the public. I’ve done this before at different shows. It gives people some insight as to how pieces develop.

“It let’s people get up close and personal,” he says. “It’s like coming to the studio. I kind of think people will like that.”

Challenger said he prefers to work with the bigger pieces, allowing him more freedom of movement when painting.

“The ones I’m bringing are monster pieces,” he says. “I think one is 84 inches high by how ever wide it is. The unfinished pieces give me a chance to share my vision. Folks get to watch the subject grow and develop.

“I really enjoy working on the large pieces,” he says. “That’s a perk of having your own gallery and studio. You get to do what you want to do.”

Besides imposing originals on display in the Carefree gallery, Challenger’s capable staff displays gicle´es and serigraphs in a warm, western‑themed room complete with animal skin rugs on the walls and floor, and comfortable leather furniture on which to relax as you browse.”

One visit to the gallery might not be enough time for the senses to absorb all there is to see.

Vallerie Vickers, gallery director in Carefree, said the response to the new facility has been wonderful.

“We had one couple from Indiana who were just mesmerized by the art. They just stood for hours and looked at it,” Vickers says.

“Every painting represents a story,” Vickers continues. “You can see the spirit in each of the subject’s eyes. Some of the people might not be real but the stories are real. When the tribal elders come into the studio, everything just stops because JD knows they have a story to tell. The stories are not written in books and are handed down from generation to generation.”

Vickers said Challenger is honored to be the one chosen to hear the stories and to capture them on canvas.

“The elders feel comfortable telling JD. He said sometimes he gets so involved in a piece he just breaks down emotionally and has to stop,” Vickers says. “That’s how powerful the work is and how much it means to him.

“He’s a great guy,” Vickers says of her boss. “He spends time with each and every client who commissions him. He sits down with them for hours and hours getting background information as to what they are looking for. The ultimate decision as to what he’ll paint is his, but he welcomes the input. He wants his clients to be happy.”

“I’m real thankful I’ve been given the opportunity to expand,” Challenger says. “I wanted to create a less crowded environment in Carefree. I want a little more variety. It’s important to me that people come in, whether they buy anything or not, and feel at home. Stay as long as you want. I want you to be comfortable.”

The rise to the top of the artistic ladder didn’t happen overnight. Challenger began his career in Taos painting landscapes, enjoying a fair amount of success, while nurturing a desire to paint Native Americans and their culture.

Upon witnessing a real‑life American Indian Ghost Dance ceremony being filmed for a movie, Challenger said his mission in life became very clear.

“I knew right then and there that’s what I wanted to do,” he recalls. “I always knew I wanted to paint, but honest to God, I never had enough sense to quit when things were tough. I think I did quit one time–for about three days.

“I have to credit my wife Denise for standing by me when there was nobody else. She wouldn’t let me quit. She was the only one who would never give up on me.”

Denise encouraged him to show his work to his Native American friends. When he did, he received approval from a holy man who told him, “There has to be a messenger and he doesn't have to be one of our people. The Creator chooses His own messengers. Your path is to tell our story and educate people about the past, and about what is still happening today.”

Challenger took the blessing and began a journey in which he’s never looked back.

“My subjects are all real people and come from tribes all over the country,” he explains. “I have friends literally from the tribes in the Pacific Northwest to the Everglades in Florida.

“They don’t come just to have their portrait done, they are here to preserve history and their culture. There’s a movement among the younger people in the tribes to know their history.

“A lot of times they show up unannounced. When that happens everything just stops. I have to capture the moment. When it’s gone it’s gone.”

With the expansion of the Carefree gallery, Challenger plans to remain open year‑round to accommodate the growing art community.

“It’s becoming a real strong art community up there,” he says. “It’s just going to keep growing and growing. We’re real happy and humbled to be a part of it.”

The Winter Exhibition will open with an artist’s reception from 6‑9 p.m. Feb. 23 in The Challenger Gallery on the upper and lower floors of the Carefree Galleria.

The Carefree Galleria is located at 37555 N. Hum Rd., Ste. 204, in Carefree.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun. through Thurs. and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fri. and Sat.

For information call (480)‑575‑0012 or visit jdchallenger.com.