Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2025/No. 212 i Western Art Collector

Welcome to the April issue of Western Art Collector! We have harnessed more than 30,000 horsepower this month and are soaring high. How, you ask? Western Art Collector was selected by newsstand Media Jet to be included in its private jet lounge network across the country. This is exclusive to both Western Art Collector and our sister title, American Art Collector. We are now the ONLY art magazines in the private travel sector. Our artists and galleries will be seen by private travelers along with LUXE, duPont Registry, Interior Design, Compass and NewBeauty, to name a few of the partners. The goal is to showcase Western art to even more collectors and subscribers. You can find Western Art Collector at art shows, galleries, art events, Barnes & Nobles, and now…

Through May 11, 2025 Night of Artists Briscoe Western Art Museum San Antonio, TX – (210) 299-4499 www.briscoemuseum.org Through May 25, 2025 Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West DESERT CABALLEROS WESTERN MUSEUM Wickenburg, AZ – (928) 684-2272 www.westernmuseum.org Through May 31, 2025 Legacy in Line: The Art of Gene Kloss COUSE-SHARP HISTORIC SITE / HARWOOD MUSEUM OF ART Taos, NM – (575) 758-9826 www.harwoodmuseum.org Through June 22, 2025 Kermit Oliver & Hermès: Storytelling on Silk & Canvas THE BRYAN MUSEUM Galveston, TX – (409) 632-7685 www.thebryanmuseum.org…

Mort Künstler spent decades in the trenches of American illustration working in the fields of pulp and men’s adventure magazines. His assignments would range from deep-cover spies and elite commandos to man-eating wildlife and violent street gangs—babes, beasts, bullets and bombs. It was an astonishing opening chapter of a long and distinguished career. Künstler, often referred to as the Godfather of Pulp, died February 2. He was 97 years old. While Künstler is widely known for his pulp work—in titles such as Male, Argosy, Stag, True, For Men Only—it was his later work of the Old West and Civil War that caught the attention of fine art collectors and brought him worldwide acclaim. He was celebrated for his extensive research and attention to detail, especially with his Civil War subjects.…

From the Great Plains to the Permian Basin, Texas is a haven for Western art, with its expansive terrain and cowboy history providing endless inspiration to artists for centuries. Over the years, Texas has grown organically into one of the most prominent hubs in the country for the Western genre with noteworthy institutions across the state. One could spend months traversing its 268,597 square miles and would likely only scratch the surface of what it has to offer. For those who love Western art museums and all of the history housed within them, look no further than the Lone Star State. Located in the nation’s largest arts district, the Dallas Museum of Art houses an expansive collection of art across a wide range of genres and holds exhibitions throughout the…

InSight Gallery represents a select group of renowned artists in a variety of styles, themes and mediums—showcasing a diverse body of work at any given time. The gallery is located in the charming town of Fredericksburg, Texas, the heart of the Texas Wine and Hill Country, and is housed in a beautifully restored historic building dating back to 1907. Gallery director Elizabeth Harris shares, “with popular culture featuring television shows like ‘Yellowstone’ and mainstream musical artists putting out country albums, all things ‘Western’ are very much in vogue. The result has been a resurgence in the interest in Western art and Texas in general.” Western art is so multifaceted. Artists like Bruce Greene or John Fawcett present a modern-day but traditional working cowboy in their work, Robert Pummill and Michael…

Artist Sherry Harrington spends the majority of her time painting the Native American people of the Navajo Nation, along with the Northern American tribes of the Lakota, Cheyenne and Apache—mainly focusing on the women, children and their animals. “After many years of spending time with the families in the Four Corners area, I have been portraying the next generation of the Navajo family in the Chinle area of the Navajo Nation,” Harrington shares. “I admire the traditions they hold tight in preserving their culture and way of life with original language, traditional foods and celebrations—strong family connections to pass on to the next generation.” You can view the second generation of the Harvey family available for purchase along with other works by Harrington at the Museum of Western Art’s Annual…

April 8-19, 2025 Scottsdale, AZ Altamira Fine Art in Scottsdale, Arizona, will host a show featuring Timothy Horn, Douglas Fryer, Jared Sanders and Dennis Ziemienski beginning April 8 with an opening reception April 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. The four artists are brought together around the exhibition’s title, Desert Muse. They are also united by a collective spirit of modernism in both their style and subject matter. Ziemienski’s mid-century modern, Palm Springs swimming pools, Hollywood neon-sign vision of the West, produced with the exacting line of a former illustrator, defies dusty cattle drive notions of Western art. Planes, trains and automobiles, not just horses. “It’s all part of the West,” Ziemienski says. “You can get nostalgic and go way back to the covered-wagon days [or] cowboys and Indian days…

April 4-25, 2025 Fredericksburg, TX Sculptor Stefan Savides has never needed an alarm clock to wake up for work a day in his life. He has never worked for anybody else but himself. Well, except for maybe, the birds. For as long as he can remember, Savides has always worked with birds and has been fascinated by them from a very young age. As he puts it, “It was ingrained in me from the beginning.” With his new show Sculpted by Nature at InSight Gallery, he aims to pay tribute to these beautiful, flying creatures with a revering elegance that only an expert like Savides can bring to life. Growing up in Vacaville, California, Savides remembers visiting his cousins in San Francisco and seeing the birds on display at the…

Through May 31, 2025 Taos, NM Gene Kloss (1903-1996) was an accomplished watercolorist and oil painter but it was her distinctive “painted etchings” of Southwestern scenes that defined her legacy as one the most important printmakers in American art history. Kloss was born in Oakland, California, and earned her degree at UC Berkely, but her first visit to Taos, New Mexico, in 1921 (her 60-pound printing press in tow) had a profound impact. “I was a New Mexican from then on,” she said, even though she and her husband did not move to Taos permanently until 1960. Through May 31, two Taos museums, the Couse-Sharp Historic Site and Harwood Museum of Art, will host Legacy in Line, complementary exhibitions that celebrate Kloss’ deep connection with and her sensitive renderings of…

1 A BIG NIGHT FOR JOHN COLEMAN Arizona painter and sculptor John Coleman had an epic night at Western Horizons, the large group show held at Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. Not only was Coleman on the February cover of Western Art Collector (our first bronze on the cover!), but he also took home two awards: the best of show prize chosen by his fellow artists and the patron’s choice award as voted on by the guests at the show. Both prizes—and a third that went to Matt Smith—were sponsored by Western Art Collector. Finally, Coleman also sold his larger-than-life portrait Monarch on the Plains. The 89-inch-tall piece sold for $195,000. 2 GREG NEWBOLD WINS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN TUCSON On Valentine’s Day weekend, collectors showed some love to Greg…

Lots of great content all around the issue this month, including three features with connections to Texas, which should complement our State of the Art: Texas rather nicely. Also, our sections devoted to painting the Old West and national parks include some stunning artwork. But there is one small portion of the magazine I want to draw your attention to. On Page 28, we celebrate the life and legacy of artist Mort Künstler, who passed away February 2 at the age of 97. Mort was a dear friend of the magazine, and though his work didn’t appear in Western Art Collector as frequently as other artists, he was always generous with his time and attention when there was something we wanted to work with him on. I first interviewed him…

May 24-26, 2025 Phippen Museum: Western Art Show & Sale Prescott, AZ – (928) 778-1385 June 20-21, 2025 Prix de West Oklahoma City, OK – (405) 478-2250 July 18-27, 2025 Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show & Sale Cheyenne, WY – (307) 778-7290 July 26, 2025 Coeur d’Alene Art Auction Reno, NV – (208) 772-9009 August 16-17, 2025 Santa Fe Indian Market Santa Fe, NM – (505) 983-5220 September 3-14, 2025 Jackson Hole Art Auction Jackson, WY – (866) 549-9278 September 5-6, 2025 Quest for the West Indianapolis, IN – (317) 636-9378 September 11, 2025 Western Visions Show + Sale Jackson, WY – (307) 733-5771 September 15-20, 2025 Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale Cody, WY – (307) 587-5002 October 11-12, 2025 Cherokee Art Market Tulsa, OK– (918) 384-6714 Oct.…

1 Matt Eddmenson offers fresh cowboy themes If you’re interested in slightly transgressive, boundary-leaping Western art, then look no further than Matt Eddmenson, who takes popular cowboy themes and implodes them within a mixture of pop culture, animation, comics and pulp. His painted works, many of which have a collage-like vibe, are meant to explore the cultural impact and continued presence of Western iconography within American culture. Eddmenson recently had a successful show at Preacher in Austin, Texas. The show was marketed more to non-Western collectors, but fans of Western works are sure to appreciate his depictions of the West. Follow his work on Instagram (@matteddmensonstudio). 2 Taryn Boals shows new work at Gallery Wild Wyoming-based painter Taryn Boals is producing some exceptional new work, including a collection of new…

“Fred and Red go to the cattle roundup.” This sounds like the setup for a joke, but it happened, and in many ways is still happening. At the heart of this story is a 50-year friendship between the Cowboy Artists of America and one of its most loyal supporters. The characters in this true story are Fred Fellows, artist and emeritus member of the Cowboy Artists of America, and Red Steagall, the musician, actor and poet. Both men live and breathe the West, and in 1970 they met through a mutual friend in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness. “When I met him, we became instant friends,” Steagall says of Fellows from his home in Texas. Fellows recalls a fishing excursion during the trip. “Red loved to fish so we rode horses…

The Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas, is home to one of the nation’s premier Western art events, the Night of Artists Exhibition and Sale. Celebrating the spirit, history and beauty of the American West each spring, the sale features more than 270 works by over 85 of today’s leading Western artists, including Martin Grelle, John Coleman, Billy Schenck, Jeremy Lipking, Gladys Roldán-de-Moras, Bonnie Morris, Stefan Savides, Jeremy Winborg and Greg Beecham. Open through May 11, Night of Artists provides a unique opportunity for collectors and art enthusiasts to acquire exceptional pieces that highlight the artistry and storytelling of the American West. Through painting, sculpture, photography and historical relics, the Briscoe’s permanent collection of Western art and artifacts reflect the region’s rich history and traditions. The museum spans…

Vogt Auction Galleries is one of the leading independent auction houses in Texas, with more than $148 million in sales from more than 4,000 estates and collections. This year, Vogt celebrates 50 years of specializing in the appraisal and sale of valuable Texas treasures. They celebrate the unique history, people and stories of the region in fine art, ceramics, artifacts, jewelry, furnishings, firearms and bladed objects. Vogt annually hosts spring and fall Texas & Western Art auctions in San Antonio, Texas. Sales often feature artworks by iconic artists such as Julian Onderdonk, Porfirio Salinas, José Vives-Atsara, G. Harvey, Dawson Dawson-Watson, Jose Arpa, John Nieto, Mary Bonner, Robert Wood, and others. Notable auctions included personal estates of artists G. Harvey, José Vives-Atsara, Clay McGaughy, William “Bill” Wittliff and author Larry McMurtry.…

April 5-19, 2025 Pasadena, CA Over just a few years, Thomas Blackshear II went from being a relatively unknown artist in the world of Western art to one of its biggest stars. As he’s continued to grow, he’s turned his attention more than usual to quality, even as deadlines pull his work in dozens of directions. “My biggest challenge these days is that my work has found some fame and recognition. It’s a wonderful feeling, but it can also be a big challenge when it comes in floods,” Blackshear says. “There is a lot of juggling, including what shows to take and not to take. It’s hard for me because I respect the process of painting so much, and I don’t want to take any shortcuts, no matter how busy…

May 2025-April 2026 Fort Worth, TX Here’s a trick question: Which came first, Western art or Western film? While a great deal of Western fine art pre-dates film depictions of the West, it’s remarkable how early Western cinema started. It was 1903 when Edwin Porter’s The Great Train Robbery, widely considered the first Western film, was released in vaudeville houses. Cowboy artists still alive at that time included Charles M. Russell, Frederic Remington and Edward Borein. But what medium was more influential? A new exhibition opening in May at the Sid Richardson Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, will offer some possible answers to that question and many others. One answer is in the title of the exhibition itself—The Cinematic West: The Art That Made the Movies. “The exhibition’s genesis is…

February 14-15, 2025 Online Jackson Hole Art Auction’s Annual Winter Online Auction, held on February 14 and 15, not only realized more than $1.4 million in sales, but it also saw consistent bidding from many bidders. The proof is in the sell-through rate of 93 percent across 446 lots. The top lot in the sale was Phil Philbeck’s astonishing Springtime in the Tetons, a 76-inch-wide painting that had a high estimate of $40,000. After steady bidding, the lot closed at $45,000. Also among the top 10 lots were two bronzes from Dave McGary, with one selling for $30,000 and the other for $24,000. The bronze artist’s works, many of them polychrome with lots of color, have been steadily rising at auctions for nearly a decade. Another artist with several pieces…

Western Art Trail Calendar OUR GUIDE TO SPECIAL EVENTS, SALES & AUCTIONS FROM COAST TO COAST April 2025 April 11-12  Scottsdale Art Auction: Session I & II SCOTTSDALE ART AUCTION April Through April 2025 Remington and Russell in Black and White SID RICHARDSON MUSEUM Fort Worth, TX – (817) 332-6554 www.sidrichardsonmuseum.org Through April 4  Luke Anderson & Richard Burke GALLERY WILD Santa Fe, NM – (505) 467-8297 www.gallerywild.com April 4 American Art Within Reach HERITAGE AUCTIONS Dallas, TX – (214) 528-3500 www.ha.com April 4-25 Stefan Savides: Sculpted by Nature INSIGHT GALLERY Fredericksburg, TX – (830) 997-9920 www.insightgallery.com April 4-25 David Meikle: Desert Light MARK SUBLETTE MEDICINE MAN GALLERY Tucson, AZ – (520) 722-7798 medicinemangallery.com April 25-May 6 Nature & Emotion: Sculpting the Elements, Painting the Light BLUE RAIN GALLERY April 5-19 Thomas Portraits Blackshear…

ROBERT TIDWELL, PH.D. Interim Helen DeVitt Jones Endowed Director of Collections, Exhibits and Research National Ranching Heritage Center Lubbock, TX, (806) 742-0498, www.ranchingheritage.org What event (gallery show, museum exhibit, etc.) in the next few months are you looking forward to, and why? One of our exhibit galleries, the McKanna Gallery, will be dedicated to exhibiting a wide range of Western art and craftsmanship. This gallery will invite visitors to explore various forms of Western art and help them answer the question, “What is Western art?” On June 7 is our annual Summer Stampede Western Art & Gear Show, a show and sale featuring outstanding artists and gearmakers, live music, dinner and dancing. Detailed event information can be found at summerstampede.com Can you tell us about any recent acquisitions at the…

The Summer Stampede Western Art and Gear Show, presented by Capital Farm Credit, is a premier annual event celebrating the artistry and craftsmanship of the American West. Hosted at the National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, this showcase highlights fine Western art, gear and traditional craftsmanship. Renowned artists and master craftsmen from across the country present stunning works ranging from paintings and sculptures to handcrafted bits, spurs and leatherwork. The evening unfolds on Saturday, June 7, from 6 to 11 p.m. This family-friendly event offers an evening of fine folks, a delicious dinner, and Western swing dancing to the music of Jake Hooker and the Outsiders. Guests can explore and purchase unique, original artworks while meeting the artists to learn about their inspiration and creative…

The Bosque Arts Center celebrates its 40th Annual Bosque Art Classic this year. Known for its outstanding representational art, the national exhibition and sale awards $15,500 in cash prizes for works in drawing, pastel, oil/acrylic, sculpture and water media. The entry deadline is June 2, with juried work on display September 14 to 27, after opening night on September 13. Bruce Greene of the Cowboy Artists of America will serve as judge. Greene is fresh off winning the gold medal in sculpture and silver in water solubles at the 2024 CAA show. Last year, Lee Alban and Eileen Nistler added their work to the BAC permanent collection, winning the $5,000 John Steven Jones Purchase Award and $1,000 Art Patrons Purchase Award, respectively. The BAC looks forward to its March e-BAC online…

Some of the grandest places on this planet are not only in the United States, but specifically in our beloved national parks. These places need little introduction: the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Half Dome in Yosemite, the hot springs and Old Faithful inside Yellowstone, Lake McDonald in Glacier and General Sherman in Sequoia. When European explorers gazed upon these locations, their first instincts were awe and wonder. And their second instincts were ones of protection. George Catlin may have been the first to suggest these locations be preserved and protected. Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran were not far behind him. When one of the first protection acts was signed into law, it contained phrasing that said the lands “be held for public use, resort, and recreation…inalienable for all…

April 25-June 7, 2025 Kerrville, TX In late April, Western artists and collectors alike will converge upon Kerrville, Texas, for the Museum of Western Art’s 42ndAnnual Roundup Exhibition & Sale. With more than 150 paintings and sculptures available from 61 artists, the event is an opportunity for visitors to interact with artists and discover something new. “The thing I look forward to the most every year is the opportunity to get reacquainted with the artists and collectors who attend Roundup,” says Darrell Beauchamp, executive director of the museum. “For 42 years, we’ve been presenting quality art to great collectors, and it’s a joy to put the artists and collectors together.” Painter Herman Walker is a long-time participant in the Roundup, and says he looks forward to seeing the efforts of…