A bull elk sculpture in the front window of Tony Mills' downtown Coeur d'Alene gallery did more than catch a customer's eye.

It sparked an unexpected partnership.

"It's been pretty amazing," Mills said Thursday.

That new partner is Mark Russo, one of the nation's premier bronze sculptors.

On Monday, Russo and his family were visiting Coeur d'Alene when they passed Mills' gallery and noticed the bull elk sculpture displayed in the window. Curious, Russo stepped inside.

"That's a nice piece in the window," he told Mills.

"You think so?" Mills replied.

"Absolutely," Russo said.

Then came the surprise.

"My dad made that piece."

Russo's father was the late Lorenzo Ghiglieri, the internationally acclaimed wildlife sculptor whose works have been presented to President Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II and Queen Elizabeth II, among others.

As the conversation unfolded, the two artists quickly discovered common ground. Mills is known for his photography, while Russo has built a reputation as one of the country's leading bronze sculptors. Both share a deep commitment to their craft and a passion for creativity.

While looking around the gallery at 205 Sherman Ave., Russo noticed there were only a handful of bronze sculptures on display.

"You need more," he told Mills.

With the annual Street Fair, Art on the Green and Taste of Coeur d'Alene beginning Friday and thousands of art lovers expected downtown, Mills was interested.

Russo had a proposal.

He invited Mills to meet him Wednesday at the StanCraft Jet Center, fly with him to the Portland area, visit his facility in Battle Ground, Wash., and load several sculptures into a U-Haul.

"You can take it back and go from there," Russo said.

Mills didn't need much convincing.

"I'd love to grab them," he said.

The plan came together exactly as envisioned.

Mills flew west Wednesday, loaded up the sculptures and returned to Coeur d'Alene late that night, pulling into town around 1:30 a.m. Thursday. Three hours later, he was still unloading artwork.

"It's definitely worth it," he said.

Today, several of Russo's bronze works, including bald eagles, grizzly bears and a stagecoach scene, are displayed alongside Mills' photography in the gallery.

"So now we're business partners," Mills said.

He said he's honored to showcase the work of an artist he considers among the very best in the business.

"He's very gifted," Mills said.

What makes the story even more remarkable is that the bull elk sculpture that started it all almost wasn't there.

A friend had the piece sitting at home and asked Mills if he would display it in the gallery. Mills agreed, placing it in the front window.

A few days later, the son of the sculptor who created it happened to walk by.

Mills is glad he said yes.

"It worked out great," he said.