Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2019/ No.147 i Western Art Collector

A new exhibition responding to climate change and biodiversity in a changing environment is now ongoing at 516 Arts in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The exhibition, developed in partnership with the Art & Ecology Program at the University of New Mexico, is titled Species in Peril Along the Rio Grande: Contemporary Artists Respond and will explore ways that the river connects people across borders and disciplines. The show will feature commissioned and existing artworks highlighting diverse perspectives on varieties of plants and animals, including flowers, trees, fish, birds and bees. “Through the eyes of contemporary artists,” the exhibition’s website states, “[Species in Peril] examines regional flora and fauna and raises ethical and cultural questions about human impact on the natural world.” Participating artists include Michael P. Berman, Kaitlin Bryson and Hollis…

The Cowboy Artists of America have embarked on a new adventure for its 2019 exhibition and sale. Good thing cowboys and adventures usually go hand in hand. After many years in Oklahoma City—and before that, many years in Phoenix—the influential art group has struck out on its own with the 54th annual Cowboys Artists of America Sale & Exhibition to be held November 1 and 2 at Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. The show will have many familiar elements—the high-quality artwork, artist demonstrations and a fixed-price, by-draw sale—and yet it’s a wild departure from previous shows. Mostly because the CAA has to orchestrate every aspect of it, from the parking and ticket distribution, to the catering and lighting, to the gallery space and hanging of…

Our collectors bought a condo in Arizona in 2010. She says, “I’ve ridden horses all my life. We fell in love with the West and with Western art. I’m an artist and our daughter is as well. It’s the landscape, the clouds, the whole western feel—the horses, the cowboys.” He husband says, “It was just one of those things. We really love the art and the role the Southwest has played in the art world, especially with Native American Art. It intrigued us.” Their condo was not far from Medicine Man Gallery where they met its impresario Mark Sublette who has been instrumental in helping form many collections. The couple later decided to purchase a 22-year-old house. “We loved the architecture but it needed a lot of work. We began…

Nicknamed the “Gem State,” Idaho is one of the Northwest’s best-kept secrets. Full of hidden gems, Idaho’s natural beauty is an inspiration to locals, artists and lovers of the outdoors alike. From world-class ski resorts to crystal-clear lakes, adventure is just around the corner. Mountain communities like McCall are home to plenty of charming, local galleries and celebrations of art, including the Payette Lakes Art Fair, which takes place annually during the third weekend of August. Or, for a bigger city vibe with small-town charm, Idaho’s capital city Boise—aka “The City of Trees”—is a must-see. Located in the heart of downtown, the Boise Art Museum offers educational exhibitions as well as programs, classes, workshops and tours. Summer brings the weekly Capital City Public Market—referred to as simply the “Saturday market”…

Settlers West Galleries’ annual Great American West show returns November 23 in Tucson, Arizona, and this year with works by more than 50 artists, including many of the greats within Western art. “While summer is often associated with leisure and relaxation, it’s a time of great productivity and inspiration for the 53 artists invited to participate in our annual Great American West show,” says gallery manager Mike Salkowski. “Their efforts result in stellar new major pieces throughout our gallery for this special opening, tempting both new and seasoned collectors. Over 110 works will be on display by Don Oelze, C. Michael Dudash, Robert Griffing and many others. This exhibition is the highlight of our busy fall season, and with themes ranging from traditional Western realism to more contemporary scenes art…

As a sculptor, Vic Payne says it is his “desire, passion and goal to foremost preserve and chronicle the life and era of our nation’s history accurately.” He grew up reading stories and books of the Wild West, visited Western artist studios and museums and watched countless old Western movies about the early settlers, mountain men, Native Americans and cowboys—all of which he says shaped the man and artist he is today. “I have drawn inspiration and have studied the styles of master teachers such as Bruno Lucchesi, Lincoln Fox and Fritz White and the European master Michelangelo, who have had a significant impact on my work,” Payne says. “Through decades of study and research, I aim to retell the story of the mystical spirit of the land and its…

The Brinton Museum’s annual Brinton 101 show brings together around 101 of the best Western artists working in the country today. It’s a spectacle for the Western art collector with hundreds of small works on display and available for purchase. “We change the artists up a little bit every year, so it’s always a different show than it was the previous year,” says Kenneth Schuster, director and chief curator at the Brinton Museum. “This year we’re excited because we’ve started an artist-in-residency program,” he says, adding that 2018 artists-in-residence Denise LaRue Mahlke, Jessica Garrett, John Potter and Terri Wells are all part of the upcoming show, as well as newcomer Jacob Aguiar. “We also have our tried and true great artists,” says Schuster, mentioning Clyde Aspevig, Oreland Joe, T.D. Kelsey,…

Fine and functional art of the West have been the centerpieces of Dry Creek Arts Fellowship’s annual Trappings of the American West Exhibition and Sale for the past 26 years. This year’s 27th edition will continue that tradition by featuring new works by 80 of the country’s leading artists. On display will be paintings, sculpture and photographs along with contemporary cowboy gear such as saddles, boots, knives, hats, bits and spurs, hitched horsehair and musical instruments. The show, on view November 9 through December 1, moves to Desert Caballeros Western Museum for the first time. There is a unique synergy between the event and the museum, as their missions align in showcasing the way of the West—past and present. “Trappings is the finest show of its kind in Arizona,” says…

On November 7, Hindman will present its next Arts of the American West auction with more than 400 lots of Western and Native American artwork coming to the market. Approximately one-third of the sale will be dedicated solely to the Western pieces, with paintings from Joseph Henry Sharp, Emil Bisttram, Edgar Payne, Harold Von Schmidt and Nick Eggenhoffer being among the items available. “The other two-thirds of the auction is a very nice selection of American Indian art and artifacts including Navajo rugs, beadwork, pottery and Southwestern/American Indian jewelry,” the auction house shares. Leading the Western lots are Sharp’s 1931 painting Ditch Workers, which is expected to sell between $50,000 and $70,000, and the 1960 painting Taos Mountain, by Bisttram, estimated to achieve $18,000 to $24,000. In the contemporary portion…

When an auction top 10 has two works by Carl Rungius, two works by Bob Kuhn and a work by Robert Bateman, it’s safe to say wildlife was the star of the sale, as it was on September 13 and 14 at the annual Jackson Hole Art Auction. This year’s sale, which realized more than $5.6 million in sales with an 84 percent sell-through rate, featured the top lot, Rungius’ Alaskan Wilderness, a magnificent work of a moose on top of a bare ridgeline with a terrific view out over the valley below it. The work was estimated at $400,000 to $600,000, and surpassed those numbers when it closed at $642,500. It is now the second-best selling piece by Rungius to come up for auction—his top lot was set in…

Painter Jay Moore tells a story about when he was starting up as an artist, how he spent all his money to enroll in a workshop led by Clyde Aspevig and had nothing left for lodging so he slept by the creek in a sleeping bag for several nights. Anything to watch the master work. Many artists share similar stories about the Montana painter, who’s regarded as an “artist’s artist.” Aspevig currently has work up at the Woolaroc Retrospective Exhibit and Sale at the Woolaroc Museum in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Willow Pond is one of the pieces in the show. ‘The Willow Pond is a place from my childhood where I explored the tadpoles, birds, insects, plants and animals that inhabit these wetland areas,” Aspevig says. “These places still invigorate my…

Still life artists have the best stuff. Wildlife painters can’t take the bison or mountain lions home with them. The same with the cowboy and landscape artists. But still life is different. The objects are tangible. They can be held in your hands, examined closely and set on a shelf. And for still life artists, these objects tend to accumulate in great numbers around their houses and studios, coloring the artists’ lives with artifacts that give a sense of time and place. For Kyle Polzin the objects have a powerful presence in his life and art because objects tell stories. They transport people to a place they’ve seen, visited or imagined. The smell of old leather, the cold touch of a rifle barrel, the creak of an old cavalry saddle—objects…

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: In 1823 an American trapper was nearly eaten alive by a grizzly bear. He survived, only barely—pun absolutely intended—and then was left for dead by his travel companions. After setting his own broken bones and letting maggots eat from his infected wounds, and living off berries and bison meat discarded by wolves, the trapper crawled more than 200 miles to a nearby military fort. I can see you nodding your head from the pages. Yes, this is the story of Hugh Glass. But here’s something you may not know: Hugh Glass never corroborated his story. No letters. No interviews. No exposé in Harper’s. So how then did the story endure? Glass’ tale survived for two reasons: first, as it says on the monument…

Kevin Box’s White Bison is a collaboration with Dr. Robert J. Lang, the master of the art and science of origami. Folded from a single piece of paper, white on one side and silver on the other, the piece was cast in stainless steel for a sculpture over 6 feet tall. It commands its setting. Too big for a desktop, the sculpture was also cast in different sizes, all the way down to one that measured 3 by 5 by 1 inch. The white bison is sacred and a symbol of peace to many Native American tribes. Box’s lighthearted bison, cranes and other animals belie the complexities of the folds—a reflection of the artist’s journey into the self and the “sacredness and complexity beneath the surface of things.” Some things…

For more than 30 years, Mountain Trails Gallery in Sedona, Arizona, has been recognized as a destination for sculpture and celebrates the three-dimensional medium with an annual exhibition dedicated to the art form. The 2019 exhibition will happen November 1 through 30, with art by Bryce Pettit, Deborah Copenhaver Fellows, Susan Kliewer, Curt Mattson and Raymond Gibby being among the featured works. “In addition to a curated selection of outstanding work by [the exhibiting] artists, this year, in homage to special requests by our treasured collectors, we are featuring a group of small works by these amazing artists,” says gallery director Julie Williams. “The powerful presence of each bronze stands tall no matter the size.” Copenhaver Fellows’ bronze She’s a Little Wet Behind the Ears depicts a young horse scratching…

Mort Künstler has painted a little bit of everything. Plane crashes, submarine battles, paratroopers raiding an enemy bridge, mobster summits, POW escapes, bank robberies, a shoot-out on a roller coaster with bikini-clad women and seemingly every possible scenario of animal attack, including one simply titled Giant Rats! “The animal attacks were always fun,” Künstler says. “And ridiculous too. One that I did a long time ago was pangolins. It was as ridiculous as it sounds.” Before Künstler became the great Civil War painter, he bounced from subject to subject early in his career illustrating for men’s adventure magazines and other pulp fiction publications. In previous decades, this pulp era was more of a footnote for the famous artist, but as time passes and new generations discover the splendid zaniness of…

Building upon a philosophical idea that first arose in the 1600s known as the “sublime,” The Western Sublime: Majestic Landscapes of the American West at the Tucson Museum of Art examines the ways in which artists interpret, reinvent, challenge and transform the ideal of the sublime landscape in both the Old and New West. The exhibition, on view from October 29 through February 9, 2020, features a variety of art from the mid-1800s to now—including paintings, photography, sculpture, prints, basketry, textiles and poetry. By juxtaposing contemporary and historic works, the sublime is presented through a broader lens, consequently opening the dialogue for new conversations about a traditional idea. “The decision to put the historical and contemporary works together was to really present these different conversations that can be had through…

Utah’s Zion National Park has long played host to artists, including in its earliest days to Frederick S. Dellenbaugh, Howard Russell Butler, Thomas Moran and many other famous landscape painters. Artists will once again descend upon the national park, this time for its centennial celebration. Zion National Park’s Celebration of Art: The Zion Forever Project kicks off November 5 and continues through November 10 within the park and in nearby Springdale, Utah. The six-day show will feature a variety of events, including artist demonstrations, art discussions, a private and public art sale, and an extended exhibition and sale featuring 55 submitted works that are now available through November 10. Artists in the show are John Cogan, Michelle Condrat, Bill Cramer, Cody DeLong, George Handrahan, Buffalo Kaplinski, Roland Lee, James McGrew,…

November 19, Sotheby’s will present its next American Art auction with everything from masterful modernist paintings to works featuring romanticized views of the West hitting the market. The sale is tightly curated to hone in on the quality that collectors continue to seek out. Elizabeth Pisano, an American art specialist at the auction house, says, “A number of the works have been in private collections for many years and there are works that have never been at auction before, so we’re quite excited to present those to collectors for the first time.” Several strong examples of Western art will be offered this year, led by a nearly 20-inch wide landscape by Albert Bierstadt. The painting, Estes Park, Colorado, is typical of the artist’s oeuvre in that it offers a sweeping…

When Hindman presents the Arts of the American West sale on November 7, tucked within the 400 lots of artwork will be pieces from the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art in Trinidad, Colorado. A number of works are by the man himself, A.R. Mitchell, a former cowboy who went into art and illustration and eventually became the so-called “King of Western Pulp Covers.” Mitchell died in 1977, and much of his studio and work went to his sister, who entrusted it to the A.R. Mitchell Museum in the immediate years following his death. The museum, which is one of the hidden gems of the Western art world, is home to thousands of works by Mitchell, as well as works by his contemporaries, artists such as Harvey Dunn, Harold von…

Mark Sublette can claim many titles, including physician, art dealer, gallery owner and published author. Now he can add another one: podcast star. Sublette, who owns Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson, Arizona, started his podcast Art Dealer Diaries in 2018 after realizing he encounters an eclectic group of people during his day-to-day dealings in the art world. The episodes were often long-form interviews with Western and Native American artists, dealers and tastemakers. Now, after a year of weekly episodes, Sublette has racked up some impressive numbers: he has interviewed more than 70 personalities, and his YouTube channel, where he publishes video versions of the interviews, has been subscribed by 5,600 users and the videos have been viewed more 1.3 million times. “I remember my son, who is 27, he told…

OCTOBER October 19-February 9, 2020 TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART The Western Sublime: Majestic Landscapes of the American West Tucson, AZ – (520) 624-2333 www.tucsonmuseumofart.org October 26 Larsen Art Auction Scottsdale, AZ – (480) 941-0900 www.larsenartauction.com October 27-December 22 THE BRINTON MUSEUM The Brinton 101: 2019 Big Horn, WY – (307) 672-3173 www.thebrintonmuseum.org NOVEMBER November 1-2 AMON G. CARTER JR. EXHIBIT HALL Cowboy Artists of America 54th Annual Sale & Exhibition Fort Worth, TX – cowboyartistsofamerica.com November 1-3 DOWNTOWN CAREFREE 26th Annual Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festival Carefree, AZ – (480) 837-5637 www.thunderbirdartists.com November 1-20 INSIGHT GALLERY Cheri Christensen and Robert Moore: Into the Outdoors Fredericksburg, TX – (830) 997-9920 www.insightgallery.com November 1-30 MOUNTAIN TRAILS GALLERIES Annual Sculpture Show Sedona, AZ – (800) 527-6556 www.mountaintrailssedona.com November 1-December 31 MANITOU GALLERIES…

Summers in Montana are famously beautiful. But the summer of 2019 is one painter Brent Cotton would like to forget. Everything was going smoothly until, like a flash, it wasn’t. “I just remember this whitehot pain right at the top of my head. I knew something was wrong pretty much right away,” he says, recounting what turned out to be the beginning of devastating one-two punch. First it was shingles, and then Bell’s palsy, which causes a facial paralysis. “That was it for me. My summer was pretty much gone as I was resting up.” In the midst of all this, Cotton had work due to the Eiteljorg Museum for the Quest for the West and his studio time was not going well. “I wasn’t sure if I was even…

Over 360 years ago Izaak Walton wrote The Compleat Angler, or the Contemplative Man’s Recreation. He wrote, “Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery element were made for wise men to contemplate, and fools to pass by without consideration.” He was beaten to the punch in describing the pleasures of fishing with a rod and line by Dame Juliana Berners who wrote A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle in 1496. Dame Juliana wrote, “If the angler catches fish no one is happier in spirit than he.” Often the object of the angler’s pursuit is a trout, a thing of beauty in itself. Frank DiVita’s studio overlooks the beauty of the Flathead Valley in Montana. His family emigrated from Italy to Canada and finally to Montana when he was a…

On November 1 the Ed Mell Gallery in Phoenix will host its inaugural invitational group exhibition, Nature: Animal, Vegetable and Mineral. Thirteen artists, including gallery owner Ed Mell, will contribute two pieces each. The diversity of the artists and their unique styles of artwork—the show includes artists of all ages who work in ceramics, graffiti and mural art, colored pencils and a variety of other mediums—reflect Mell’s own interests in art and design, which veers from modernism and abstraction to classic cars and American illustration. “The show is about good friends coming together to show their work. I’m fortunate I’ve connected with so many younger artists, as well as artists of all ages, because all of the work is really great,” Mell says, adding that the idea for the show…

Fifty years ago the Mountain Oyster Club of Tucson, Arizona, launched its Contemporary Western Art Show and Sale as a way to promote sculpture and paintings that show the life and lands of the West. The one-day event spotlights new work by more than 200 emerging and nationally recognized artists at the organization’s home of Pond Mansion. For 2019, the show and sale will take place November 24 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. During that time, art collectors and artists can enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as well as have the opportunity to view and purchase works. Participating in the show are artists such as Sue Krzyston, Bill Nebeker, Deborah Copenhaver Fellows, Tom Dorr, Darcie Peet, Raymond Gibby and Howard Post. Post, who has been an Honorary Artist Member since…

Just one year shy of its 50th anniversary, the annual Waterfowl Festival returns to Easton, Maryland, bringing in more than 15,000 visitors for a weekend devoted to the art of aquatic-dwelling birds and other wildlife. The festival, which supports wildlife conservation throughout the region, is an enduring tradition that honors the yearly migration of geese through the Atlantic flyway. This November 8 to 10, visitors can view artwork from more than 85 artists across the region and the world, including Richard Clifton, Jill Basham, Mary Konchar, Jeff Rechin, Paul Rhymer, Sandra Alanko, Sandy Scott and many others. The 2019 featured artist is figurative and landscape painter Nancy Tankersley, who has lived in Easton for 15 years. “As a resident of Easton, I’m privileged to see the excitement build as our…

There is something for everyone at Altermann Galleries & Auctioneers’ next sale in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Artworks in the November 8 sale, which will have two sessions with a combined 450 lots, include depictions of cowboys and Native Americans, as well as pottery and other objects, all of it top-quality work from prominent historic and contemporary Western and Native American artists. One major work in the sale is Allan Houser’s lifesize bronze Reverence, depicting a robed standing figure. The work is pure modernism, with strong lines and an elegant design that accentuates the mysterious figure’s tall, slender shape. The Chiricahua Apache artist, who started as a painter and transitioned into sculpture, is widely collected, with works in the Smithsonian, the National Portrait Gallery and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.…

On September 7, Heritage Auctions hosted its second Art of the West sale to much fanfare from collectors, who drove the day’s total to more than half a million dollars in sales. Leading the auction were pieces from two beloved artists in the Western art world: Robert Pummill and Glenna Goodacre. Multiple bidders pursued Pummill’s Teamwork and Goodacre’s Crossing the Prairie, pushing the prices to $40,000 each to share the top lot honors. Goodacre’s sculpture was one of four items that were consigned from her private collection, and its price within presale estimates of $30,000 to $50,000 was the highest earner of the group. A second work by the artist, titled Spotted Tail, rounded out the top 10 when it sold for $8,750. Pummill’s Teamwork, which landed above its estimate…

Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is already known as one of the great art destinations in the country, but every September it goes a step further by packing in a little of bit of everything, including museum exhibitions, gallery openings, several auctions and a popular quick draw event. This year is no exception as a number of events converged in Jackson Hole in September. Anchoring much of it is the 12-day Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival, which is itself bookended by the Western Visions exhibition at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, which brought out more than 1,600 people and many of the top Western artists in the country, and the September 13 and 14 Jackson Hole Art Auction, which this year realized more than $5.6 million. One of the highlights of…