Three Black Bears

Richard Loffler is a Canadian sculptor specializing in wildlife and Western subjects. Growing up on the Saskatchewan prairies, he developed a commitment to outdoor life as a teenager, which became fundamental to his artistic practice. He studied art at the University of Saskatchewan and currently lives in southern Saskatchewan.

In 1978, Loffler began working at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina, where he studied natural history dioramas. He also observed animals at zoos in Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, and Calgary to inform his sculptural work. In 1989, he was accepted into membership with both the Society of Animal Artists and the National Sculpture Society in New York.

Loffler's practice focuses on large-scale bronze sculptures depicting North American wildlife—including bison, bears, and birds of prey—as well as Western themes. His anatomically precise works capture both movement and character through dynamic compositions. His methodical approach combines direct observation from outdoor fieldwork with technical expertise in bronze casting and finishing.

Notable public installations include The Buffalo Trail (also referenced as "Spirit of the Plains," 2003), a 65-foot-long monumental bison sculpture at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Outlaw, a 1¼ life-sized sculpture of a Calgary Stampede rodeo bull located in downtown Calgary, Alberta. Additional public installations can be found in Colorado and South Dakota.

Loffler has received significant recognition within the Western art community, earning the Robert Lougheed Award in 2002 and the James Earl Fraser Sculpture Award in 2012, both from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum's Prix de West exhibition. He continues to exhibit with the Prix de West Invitational Exhibition. His work appears in numerous corporate and permanent museum collections across North America, including the Canadian Museum of Nature, and has been exhibited internationally.

Loffler has taught sculpture classes at the Scottsdale Artists School in Arizona for over ten years. He currently divides his time between fieldwork for research, studio production, and overseeing the casting and patina processes at foundries where his bronze sculptures are produced.