A portrait of former Gov. Bill Ritter was unveiled in the west foyer of the state Capitol on Tuesday to honor Colorado’s 41st governor.
Friends, family, past advisers and Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper joined Ritter in the long-standing tradition of putting up portraits of former governors in the Capitol.
“This portrait is a demonstration of the gratitude that this state has for Gov. Ritter,” Hickenlooper said. “And it will be on display here front and center.”
The portrait depicts Ritter, a Democrat, on the Capitol’s south steps under blue sky donning a red tie, jacket flung over his left shoulder and sleeves rolled up.
Ritter’s portrait will be alongside those of past governors such as Republican Bill Owens and Democrat Roy Romer.
After acknowledging people in the audience who have influenced his career, Ritter took a moment to honor the artist, Judith Dickenson.
“After conducting interviews with different artists, we wanted someone who could really capture the spirit of the West,” said Ritter, who served one term and is now director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University. “We collaborated and came up with a concept, and Judith did a great job.”
The former governor went on to note that Dickenson is the first female artist to paint a hanging portrait of a Colorado governor.
“It was a great honor to be a part of this whole process and to feel like you play a tiny part in history,” said the Brighton artist, who was commissioned for $10,000 to do the portrait. “Gov. Ritter wanted to portray his love to go out and hear from the people. He came up with idea of sleeves rolled up, ready to go to work.”
The photo Dickenson used to paint the portrait was taken in October, and it took her about three months to complete the piece.
Kurtis Lee: 303-954-1655 or klee@denverpost.com
