Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2024/No. 197 i Western Art Collector

Welcome to the January issue of Western Art Collector! Happy New Year! W We hope your New Year’s resolutions include traveling to galleries and museums and being active in the Western art world. In 2024 we know Western art is gaining an ever-increasing following, and we’re seeing it grow every day. Our State of the Art destination guides explore different states each month, and this month we kick off the year with our shining star, State of the Art: Arizona. Read on as we highlight the top galleries and museums in Arizona. Scottsdale is the world headquarters of International Artist Publishing, so we always enjoy looking at our home state. The issue also has features on two shows opening in January in Arizona: award-winning artists William Haskell and R. Tom…

THROUGH FEBRUARY 4 OJAI VALLEY MUSEUM Ojai Mystique Ojai, CA – (805) 640-1390 www.ojaivalleymuseum.org THROUGH FEBRUARY 18 MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DENVER Cowboy Denver, CO – (303) 236-1836 www.mcadenver.org THROUGH FEBRUARY 25 WESTERN SPIRIT: SCOTTSDALE’S MUSEUM OF THE WEST Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo Scottsdale, AZ – (480) 686-9539 www.scottsdalemuseumwest.org THROUGH FEBRUARY 25 TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART Enduring Legacies: The James T. Bialac Indigenous Art Collection Tucson, AZ – (520) 624-2333 www.tucsonmuseumofart.org THROUGH APRIL 6 NORTHEASTERN NEVADA MUSEUM Shared Visions Elko, NV - (775) 738-3418 www.museumelko.org THROUGH APRIL 13 STEAMBOAT ART MUSEUM Wild West: Wildlife Masters, Past and Present Steamboat Springs, CO - (970) 870-1755 www.steamboartartmuseum.org…

Subscribe today to get the best Western art magazine in the country, and the only monthly magazine that highlights the top artists, galleries, museums, fairs and auctions throughout the art market. Need proof? The proof is in your hands. Flip through this issue to see the best coverage of the American West: Previews of all the biggest events, shows and sales. Destination guides from the hottest art markets. Special genre sections to expand your collecting power. 12 issues a year, each one presenting work from the top artists and the rising newcomers…and everyone in between! Hitch your wagon to the go-to source trusted by artists, gallery owners, museum curators, auction specialists and collectors. Saddle up with Western Art Collector. $ 55 FOR 12 ISSUES! $ 65 off NEWSSTANDS! SUBSCRIBE TODAY BY…

In the early lead-up to Christie’s winter American art sale in NewYork, the original title of the sale was simply 19th -Century American Art. But as the spectacular Western material piled up in Christie’s New York gallery, it quickly became obvious that a change was in order, which is how the amended title, 19th -Century American and Western Art, came to be. Western art in New York City, especially during big seasonal sales is not a foregone conclusion. Some of the houses barely offer it, while others only occasionally nab works by Western artists. Here, though, Christie’s has an expansive roster of major works by important artists from all corners of the category. “We are the house with the highest-quality Western art, and that is what we are speciliazing in this season.…

With a strong attendance in person and robust bidding online and on the phones, the Lone Star Art Auction marked its second sale with solid numbers on October 28: more than $5.1 million in sales with a 92 percent sell-through rate. “I feel pretty great about it,” says auction owner Phil Berkebile Jr. “Prices were fair for all sides. We had some buyers come out with some great deals, and then we had sellers who were very pleased with their results as well. That’s a good sale to watch when it’s fair for both sides.” Berkebile noted that the sale was largely dominated by telephone and online sales, but said in-person bidding was strong. “The biggest pieces sold by telephone and in the room, but the largest volume of lots…

From the desert landscape and warm temperatures in cities like Tucson and Phoenix, to the forests and cool weather of northern towns like Sedona and Flagstaff, the state of Arizona has an unrivaled and diverse beauty. Beginning January 5, Mountain Trails Gallery, located in the Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village in Sedona, highlights this diversity in the show Arizona Inspires: A Celebration of Creatives. Around 50 artists come together to showcase the glory of all things Arizona in painting, sculpture and mixed media works. “We are thrilled to celebrate artists who are proud to call Arizona home, and we are delighted to showcase artists who often come here for inspiration,” says gallery director, Julie R. Williams. “Energized by our deserts, mountains, canyons and history, these gifted and imaginative artists tell…

Growing up in Montana and having a life full of state history and exploration, Colt Idol finds great joy in Western iconography. “Beyond the subject matter, however, I like to push dramatic natural elements that we all know—light and color. I want to achieve maximum drama and emotionality,” Idol says. “In art principle terms, I spend the most of my time with value and color control. I want to stretch my lights and darks to have the full value range. I look to find interesting color usage that is typically saturated but controlled and, most importantly, exciting. If you know anything about the West, than you know there is drama in our landscapes, sunsets and stories. I’d like to get a bit of that in each of my pieces.” Many…

Here at Western Art Collector, we H hold fast to the idea that the Western art market finds its strength from three elements: galleries, museums and auctions. These three venues are how collectors and artists interact with the market and how artwork moves around from artist to collector, or from collector to collector. Having strength in all three is what makes Western art unique among the different genres around the country. This is why we break our previews and reports into sections for galleries, museums and events, and then auctions. We go to where the art is, and that’s reflected in our coverage. This month we turn our attention to the world of auctions for our Western Auction Directory. It’s always fun to see what artwork is coming out of…

FEB. 10-MARCH 24, 2024 MASTERS OF THE AMERICAN WEST Los Angeles, CA – (323) 667-2000 FEBRUARY 16-18, 2024 SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION Charleston, SC – (843) 723-1748 MARCH 22-SEPT. 1, 2024 DESERT CABALLEROS COWGIRL UP! Wickenburg, AZ – (928) 684-2272 MARCH 14-16, 2024 MARCH IN MONTANA Coeur d’Alene, ID – (208) 664-2091 MARCH 14-16, 2024 OUT WEST ART SHOW & SALE Great Falls, MT – (406) 590-1961 MARCH 21, 2024 HERITAGE AUCTIONS’ ART OF THE WEST Dallas, TX – (877) 437-4824 MARCH 22-23, 2024 BRISCOE WESTERN ART MUSEUM NIGHT OF ARTISTS San Antonio, TX – (210) 299-4499 APRIL 10, 2024 BONHAMS’ MODERN NATIVE AMERICAN ART AND JEWELRY Los Angeles, CA – (323) 850-7500 APRIL 12-13, 2024 SCOTTSDALE ART AUCTION Scottsdale, AZ – (480) 945-0225 MAY 2024 (DATES TBA) HINDMAN’S WESTERN & CONTEMPORARY NATIVE AMERICAN ART SALE Denver,…

The still life artists always have the most fascinating stuff. Because their subjects are objects, their studios tend to Thave a little bit of necessary clutter. Or as one artist once described, “My closets are full.” There are some perks, though: The floral painters must have lovely smelling studios. The fruit painters always have snacks handy. The artists who paint vessels never have to hunt far for a cup, pitcher, glass, saucer or vase. After the 1964 death of Italian still life painter Giorgio Morandi, his studio was photographed with tables, shelves and even part of the floor covered by various ceramic bowls and bottles. It looked like a recycling center. Objects tell stories about the people who made them, the people who used them and the people who admire…

In January, Sotheby’s will present Visions of America, a multi-day sale with auctions, events and experiences that celebrate American art and culture. The main sale component of the presentation will take place on January 20 at Sotheby’s New York gallery. Works in the sale include Thomas Moran’s Green River, Wyoming, an 1883 oil estimated at $1 million to $1.5 million. Moran’s Green River paintings are some his most timeless and collected works, and bidding is expected to be fierce as the lot soars into seven-digit figures. Another important work being offered is Thomas Worthington Whittredge’s Indian Encampment Under Trees, a work from around 1870 that shows Native American subjects. Like the Moran, this subject from an important Hudson River School painter is incredibly rare and is likely to see steady…

Cary Ennis incorporates meditation and stillness into her life as well as her paintings, creating peaceful images that invite contemplation. Hopi jars and pots line the shelves of her studio beneath photos of her spiritual leaders, and these are the seen and unseen elements that make up her compositions. Meditation extends to all aspects of the painter’s life and she begins each day in her studio with a moment of introspection. When painting Hopi pots, she says, “They evoke a kind of silence—nothing more needs to be said. They just make you stop and say, ‘Ah,’” Ennis says. “Eggs are that way too—there is nothing to be said, there is a quiet and a stillness. When this stillness happens in painting, that is what I like.” Arranging a still life…

The Petrie Institute of Western American Art (PIWAA), which oversees the Western American art collection at the Denver Art Museum, is back with its annual Petrie Western Art Symposium. And to help increase accessibility for more guests, the 2024 event will be presented both in person at the Denver Art Museum and in a virtual format. “It is always a delight to reconnect with our attendees, many of whom have been coming since Peter Hassrick started the annual symposium series in 2007,” says JR Henneman, curator and director of PIWAA. “We hope the subject will appeal to a wide range of Western art aficionados, [and] we’re happy to announce that Patty Limerick has agreed to moderate. Her thoughtful questions, humor and insight always help make our symposia memorable experiences.” This…

The National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is no stranger to wildlife on its property. Located at the foot of the Grand Teton National Park, and across the road from the National Elk Refuge, the museum will routinely get critters, big and small, all year round. On November 9, the museum was given a new permanent resident: Cub, Sitting by the sculpture artist Hacer, who creates large metal pieces made to look like origami creations. The piece was purchased by the museum’s Collectors Circle, a group of museum members whose mission is to support acquisitions for the permanent collection. Part of their membership dues fund art acquisitions, and members vote on new acquisitions to benefit and diversify the permanent collection. “Collectors Circle is always excited to acquire…

Opening December 16 at Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona, is Howard Post: Western Perspectives, a new exhibition to celebrate the work of the Arizona artist known for his modernist paintings of cowboys, horses and corrals. The exhibition, which will continue through February 25, is also part of this year’s Heart of the West Gala held on January 20. It’s at the ticketed gala where Post will be honored and his work celebrated further. The artist will also give a presentation on January 19 in the museum’s Cultural Crossroads Learning Center. Post is a third-generation Arizonan who presently lives near Tucson. Much of his work features the Grand Canyon State, particularly rodeos and corrals in Southern Arizona. His paintings have been compared to the work of regionalist Grant Wood,…

So, it is true. Arizona has scorching temperatures in the summer throughout certain regions, making it difficult to even run daily errands around town. And forget about taking a hike or even a walk to grab a coffee! Alas, there are still many reasons why people continue to flock to the state, and why many live there year around. In fact, many might say they feel lucky to live in such a place. A place that offers up breathtaking landscape scenery ranging from Sonoran Desert views in Phoenix and Tucson, to the red rocks of Sedona and the pines of Flagstaff, and one national park so famous it need not be mentioned. It might make more sense now why many artists and creatives have settled in Arizona, choosing to withstand…

There is no such thing as luck in the auction world. Bidders either keep bidding until they win, or they throw in the towel. But just in case luck has anything to do with it, the Old West Show & Auction’s new location in Las Vegas has you covered. The desert city, known for offering the blessing of Lady Luck, will host the show on January 26 and 27. After decades of success in Mesa, Arizona, show promoter Brian Lebel and Morphy Auctions have moved the hit Old West Show & Auction, now in its 34th year, to Nevada. For Lebel, who has run countless shows in dozens of destinations, Las Vegas offers opportunities unique to other cities. “There is a great vibe in Vegas and I think our collectors…

On November 10 and 11, Santa Fe Art Auction presented its largest offering of the year, the Signature Annual Live Sale. Lively bidding amid a diverse selection of materials from all around the Southwest helped bring in more than $2 million in sales with a 90 percent sell-through rate. The sale exemplified “the best of what the auction house brings to offer throughout the year,” notes the auction president, Gillian Blitch. The top lot of the sale was Luis Jimenez’s El Filo, a cast fiberglass work showing a figure on a motorcycle. The 84-inch-long work, of which there are five editions, sold for $115,000, within its estimates of $100,000 to $150,000. A David Barbero painting titled Grande Canyon was a huge sleeper hit at the sale. Estimated at only $10,000…

In 2007, David Frederick Riley and Nealy May Riley met in grad school at Savannah College of Art and Design, and two years later opened a dance studio in Grand Junction, Colorado. The birth of their children focused the rhythm of their lives on creating the art that they had always wanted to produce—painting the wildlife of the mountain west. An exhibition of their work, Side by Side, will be shown at Altamira Fine Art in Scottsdale, Arizona, from January 16 through 27. Nealy’s mixed media works on panel often combine acrylic paint and resin with gold leaf and foil that create an energetic glow that changes in different light conditions. In Magical Meadow, three deer survey their surroundings, one gazing directly at the viewer. On the panel, they exist…

From his travels, Cliff Barnes has painted award-winning oil and watercolor paintings focusing on “today’s West.” Early in 2023, Barnes’ art was juried in two competitive exhibits: the Signature Watercolor Exhibition at the Fallbrook Art Center in Fallbrook, California, and the American Impressionist Society’s Small Works Showcase in Knoxville, Tennessee. His hot streak continued in the summer when his art was selected by three California based organizations. First, unique oil and watercolor paintings were juried in four of California Art Club’s gallery exhibitions in San Marino, California, as well as the club’s online competition. Next, he received an award from the Laguna Plein Air Artists for his oil painting Rockport. Finally, Barnes was awarded the distinction of Master Watercolor Artist, and his colorful painting Nap Time was juried into the…

Western Art Collector magazine has changed the way artists, galleries and collectors connect. It has closed the gap that previously existed in the Western art market. On this page you can read just some of the spectacular feedback pouring into our office from coast to coast on sales and connections achieved. 1. Cowboy Artists of America close out 2023 with a bang On November 3 and 4, the Cowboy Artists of America presented its annual show in Fort Worth, Texas. Not only was the show well attended and critically received, it also scored a huge hit with collectors as it soared to more than $1.2 million in sales. Several artists had exceptionally strong sales, including Phil Epp, Tyler Crow, Mikel Donahue, Grant Redden and watercolor painter Teal Blake, who sold…