Deborah Copenhaver Fellows (born 1948) is an American sculptor known for her Western themed works. Her best known work is the life-sized statue of former Arizona senator

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the United States Republican Party, Republ ...

included in the

National Statuary Hall Collection The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is composed of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. Limited to two statues per state, the collection was originally set up in the old ...

in the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. It was added to the collection as one of Arizona’s two statues in 2015.

Early life

Fellows was born and raised on a ranch in northern Idaho. Her father Deb Copenhaver was a champion rodeo rider, winning two world championships in 1955 and 1956 and was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1991 and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1992. As a teenager Deborah Fellow was selected Miss Rodeo Washington. During this time she developed a passion for horses that is frequently reflected in her sculpture. She attended Fort Wright College of the Holy Names where she first began a serious study of sculpture. Her statue of

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

was erected just outside the Crosby Student Center, on the Gonzaga University and dedicated on May 3, 1981, Crosby’s birthday. Fellows won a competition to create the Washington Korean War Memorial, (hers was of a Korean War veteran) and it was dedicated on the Washington State Capitol grounds in

Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region. Europea ...

, on July 24, 1993. She was inducted into the

National Sculpture Society Founded in 1893, the National Sculpture Society (NSS) was the first organization of professional sculptors formed in the United States. The purpose of the organization was to promote the welfare of American sculptors, although its founding members ...

in 2008 and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 2009.

Selected works

* The Founder, aka Adolph Coors,

Golden, Colorado Golden is a home rule city that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 20,399 at the 2020 United States Census. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the base of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountain ...

, 1980 *

, Gonzaga University,

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the ...

, 1981 * Inland Northwest Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Dedicated November 10, 1985 * Montana Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Dedicated November 11, 1988 * Tribute to a Cowboy aka Benny Binion,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, dedicated November 28, 1988 * Washington Korean War Memorial, Dedicated July 24, 1993 * Lady of the Sea, Cape Sante Marina,

Anacortes, Washington Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.1948 births Living people 20th-century American sculptors Artists from Montana Sculptors from Arizona Washington State University alumni Heritage University alumni 20th-century American women artists Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductees National Sculpture Society members 21st-century American sculptors 21st-century American women artists American women sculptors