Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2025/No. 216 i Western Art Collector

Welcome to the August issue of Western Art Collector! August is a celebratory month for us because of the Santa Fe Indian Market. Our sister title, Native American Art, is the official magazine of the market for the eighth year. If you are heading to the Southwest this August, be sure to be in Santa Fe on August 16 and 17 for the market. And be sure to come see us at our booth in the Santa Fe Plaza. Michael Clawson, Adolfo Castillo, myself and our team will be there ready to greet you, renew your subscription, talk about the art you just acquired, take a photo, or just hang out and enjoy some art fellowship with us. We love to talk (and write) about Western and Native American art,…

Through September 20 Art in the West HIGH DESERT MUSEUM Bend, OR – (541) 382-4754 www.highdesertmuseum.org Through September 21 Western Costumes from the Silver Screen: The Davey Collection NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM Oklahoma City, OK – (405) 478-2250 www.nationalcowboymuseum.org Through September 28 Hold Your Horses! Exhibition & Sale PHIPPEN MUSEUM Prescott, AZ – (928) 778-1385 www.phippenartmuseum.org Through October 26 Selling the Western: Movie Posters Old & New BOOTH WESTERN ART MUSEUM Cartersvile, GA – (770) 387-1300 www.boothmuseum.org Through November 15 Sun Brothers: Glenn Dean, Josh Elliott and Logan Maxwell Hagege COUSE-SHARP HISTORIC SITE Taos, NM – (575) 751-0369 www.couse-sharp.org…

On April 12, after a four-month closure, the Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art reopened within its new location, a historic and renovated building in David City, Nebraska. More than 450 people were in attendance as the historic building, originally built in 1917, was dedicated. “We are so thankful to everyone who has helped make this possible,” Ruth Thoendel, the museum’s board president, told guests. The building concept first formed about a decade ago. During the $5 million renovation, aspects of the building’s history were preserved, including its use as a showroom for Ford Model Ts. The building was first used as a livery stable by the grandfather of Joyce C. Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards. It was later sold and used as a Ford assembly plant and dealership.…

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Sean Michael Chavez’s paintings speak to a time and place that is unique within Western art. His lands are dusty and harsh, the light is intense and it washes out much of the color. Danger hangs in the air even amid his quiet scenes, and his vaquero subjects are framed against the magnificence of the Southwest. It’s rare when an artist creates an entire world, a sandbox where they are free to tell their own stories in their own style. And yet that is exactly what Chavez has done over the last six years. The painter, who lives in New Mexico, first showed his work in Santa Fe in 2019. The show was a massive hit, and he’s been back every August to present a new solo show. He will…

For She Remembers, Kwani Povi Winder’s upcoming solo show at King Galleries, the artist is presenting 25 paintings that offer a look into the past. Her focus is on the ancestors and the ancestral places and creations of the Santa Clara Pueblo, where the artist spent her summers as a child. “The works are inspired by the people, landscapes and photographs I remember from the days spent on the reservation,” Winder explains. “There will also be some new work featuring the pottery of my grandparents and great-grandparents. I come from a long line of potters and attribute my gift in art to them. I have started to gather their pottery. It’s been a tender experience to hold a piece of earth from their creation, to see the polish lines where…

“My art is deeply inspired by the wild heartbeat of nature, where animals take on human-like stories and emotions in my mind,” says painter Mary Leslie. “Roaming the Rocky Mountains with my camera, I’m always ready for inspiration around the next canyon or peak. A jackrabbit darting through sagebrush, vibrant wildflowers, or clouds casting dramatic shadows on rocky cliffs—each moment fuels my work.” She continues, “My paintings blend these snapshots, sometimes images from talented photographers who generously share their craft, or even recently a striking stranger I convinced for a spontaneous photo shoot after a gallery show. When a scene sparks, I dream up ways to make it shine on canvas. I love infusing humor to keep things light and fun for me. Maybe it’s a quirky animal expression or…

The Booth Western Art Museum is launching a new series of exhibitions exploring specific themes within its extensive photography collection. The first installment is The West in Focus: Women, which will highlight notable historic and contemporary female photographers, as well powerful portraits of Western women. “So much of Western art is by and about men, so celebrating women and the art of women made sense,” says Mark Medley, the museum’s curator of photography. “One objective of [this exhibit] is to better inform viewers of women photographers past and present and their contributions to the ongoing story of the West and Western art.” On display will be 50 pieces that include emotional portraiture by Dorothea Lange, sensual contemporary compositions by Cara Weston, Barbara Van Cleve’s iconic images of resilient Western women…

For its 47th edition, the Whitehawk Antique Indian & Ethnographic Art Show features an astounding 130 exhibitors, highlighting thousands of historic and contemporary art and objects. The mission of the event is a simple one: “To share and promote Native American art from the United States and Canada, and ethnographic material from around the world,” says Kim Martindale, show owner and producer. “The show highlights work from the very best artists throughout history, and from so many different cultures,” Martindale continues. “Both historic and contemporary work will be in the same room, allowing visitors to see the influences of this material throughout time—something I get really excited about exposing people to.” Attendees will be able to purchase the finest textiles, pottery, basketry, beadwork, woodcarving and more. Martindale notes that Whitehawk…

It’s hot in Arizona. So hot you can see the heat rippling off the streets. Hot enough that you wonder how Maynard Dixon ever set foot in the Sonoran Desert without turning around and fleeing to cooler climates—“Well, that’s enough of that,” he would think to himself. But as the heat soars, and outdoors becomes unbearable at best, and dangerous at worst, it’s easy to see why collectors are embracing online opportunities. From my lovely air-conditioned office, I can browse art from thousands of artists. And it’s as easy as ever. Galleries are posting their entire inventories on their websites. Some are even organizing it to make browsing easier: the artwork can be viewed by artists, mediums, sizes or even by keywords. I especially like the “New Arrivals” pages, where…

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 11-14, 2025 Reno Tahoe International Art Show Reno, NV – (714) 319-3385 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 October 31-November 1, 2025 Lone Star Art Auction Dallas, TX – (469) 608-7600 November 7-8, 2025 Cowboy Artists of America Show & Sale Fort Worth, TX – (817) 247-1200 November 7-8, 2025 Santa Fe Art Auction’s Annual Signature Live Auction Santa Fe, NM – (505) 954-5858 November 14-15, 2025 Tehachapi Arts Commission Art 2025 Show…

An exhaustive search is now being undertaken for material related to wildlife painter Carl Rungius by the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Now several years deep in the project, the museum is presenting the first 102 entries on Rungius and his works on the museum’s website. The project is part of the forthcoming Carl Rungius Catalogue Raisonné, which is being organized by museum curator Adam Duncan Harris, who notes that he and his team at the museum have already made huge strides in locating and recording many of Rungius’ pieces. “I started the project thinking there was somewhere around 1,000 paintings. But after digging into his career and his output every year, we have come to paintings in the number of 760 to 775. And then…

Fire is the ultimate paradox within nature. It is devastating and destructive, yet it can add nutrients to the soil, clear out overgrowth and give new forests a chance to take root. Fire is at once a scourge on the land, and also part of the natural order of life in an ecosystem. Fire and the earth represent a conflict that painter Tony Abeyta connects with for his newest show opening August 15 at Owings Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “There is so much narrative in these new pieces. The forest fire paintings—as well as works that show the land changing from tornadoes, hurricanes, extreme temperatures—were part of me bearing witness to these incendiary moments in California, first with the Pacific Palisades fires and then later these moments of…

Richard Burke’s uncles were falconers. At the age of 5 he watched from a distance, “astounded at those crazy birds,” he recalls. He also recalls discovering three young kestrels in a cage, so mesmerized that he opened the door to the cage and they flew away. There was anger around the farm, but he learned later that the three birds eventually returned home. He also recalls that as a teenager he was visiting a friend and saw moss growing all over the old stone steps. “It floored me that you could see time—visual and imperceptible at the same time. In my art I’m creating something that’s physically almost timeless. To me that is in a sense a celebration of our short, punctuated time here and the enormous amount of time…

R. H. Dick is a native of Missouri who grew up in Cass County near two cattle and horse ranches. He spent his childhood drawing and creating clay figures out of pond clay and was inspired by the landscape around him. Through studying art and American history, Dick gained a deep appreciation for Native American culture and traveled through Montana and the Western United States visiting reservations and Native American communities. He befriended many pueblo people in Taos, New Mexico, and built relationships with them as they modeled for his paintings and bronze sculptures. These relationships helped inform his work. The painter has been making artwork with Western subject matter since the 1950s and he is deeply influenced by other Missouri-based painters such as Oscar E. Berninghaus, Carl Wimar and…

“Wow.” It was the only word James Morgan could muster after accepting the Prix de West Museum Purchase Award at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. When he returned to the podium later that night for a more formal speech, he echoed his first speech. “Wow,” he told the audience. It was a sentiment shared by many artists and attendees about the opening weekend for the Prix de West in Oklahoma City. “Wow” for the $3.1 million in sales. “Wow” for the redesigned exhibition space. “Wow” for the spectacular attendance. And “wow” for the quality of the artwork. Morgan’s piece, White on White, won the museum purchase award, and his body of submitted work won the Robert Lougheed Award. Other top winners were Steve Kestrel for the wildlife award,…

August in Arizona is not for those who are squeamish about the heat. With highs in the 110s, the Phoenix area roasts in the summer with punishing temperatures that drive visitors to air conditions, pools or open refrigerators. For the Scottsdale Art Auction, which offers an annual August sale, the Arizona summer can be mitigated through its online sale. “This is our third year presenting this sale and, based on the current numbers we’re seeing, it’s going to be our best,” says auction partner Brad Richardson. “Not only are we seeing strong pieces come to us from some really great consigners, but we’re also seeing a pretty consistent mix of work we might see in our annual April sale, whether it’s classic Western work, paintings from the Taos Society of…

Western Art Trail August 2025 OUR GUIDE TO SPECIAL EVENTS, SALES & AUCTIONS FROM COAST TO COAST August 23 Live Online Auction SCOTTSDALE ART AUCTION Scottsdale, AZ – (480) 945-0225 www.scottsdaleartauction.com July July 20-August 13 Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show & Sale CHEYENNE FRONTIER DAYS OLD WEST MUSEUM Cheyenne, WY – (307) 778-7289 www.cfdartshow.com August August 1-2 BC Nowlin MANITOU GALLERIES Santa Fe, NM – (505) 986-0440 www.manitougalleries.com August 1-31 Greg Overton: The Warrior’s Wisdom TRAILSIDE GALLERIES Scottsdale, AZ – (480) 945-7751 www.trailsidegalleries.com August 1-31 Plein Air Painters of America 2025 National Exhibit: Colorado Grandeur CENTER FOR THE ARTS CRESTED BUTTE Crested Butte, CO – www.pleinairpaintersofamerica www.shaunhornegallery.com August 1-31 Big Summer Show PARSONS GALLERY OF THE WEST Taos, NM – (575) 737-9200 www.parsonsart.com August 8-11 Whitehawk Antique Indian &…

Forty years after being stolen right off the wall at the Harwood Museum of Art, paintings by Victor Higgins and Joseph Henry Sharp were returned to the museum in a ceremony on May 22 in Taos, New Mexico. The artworks, Higgins’ Aspens and Sharp’s Oklahoma Cheyenne, were stolen from the museum in 1985, presumably by Rita and Jerry Alter of Cliff, New Mexico. The theft was similar to the 1985 theft of Willem de Kooning’s Woman-Ocher from the University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson, Arizona. (The de Kooning was returned to Tucson in 2017.) The Alters were never charged with any crimes because they both died before it was discovered the three works were part of their large art collection. Family photos released by the FBI show the…

1 New Michael Blessing works at Altamira Neon, cowboys and Hollywood unite in the paintings of Michael Blessing, who now has new work available at Altamira Fine Art in Scottsdale, Arizona. Blessing’s work, much of which would be right at home as signage on the Las Vegas Strip, focuses on larger-than-life cowboy figures. “Blessing’s future-focused penchant for pushing into new territory is tangibly evident in his Neon West Electric works: a series of larger-than-life characters painted in a contemporary style that incorporates the vibrant color and contrastive light of cutting-edge LED neon technology as a sculptural element,” the artist’s website notes. “As an artist, Blessing enjoys exploring innovative ideas and incorporating unconventional techniques, methods and mediums in his work.” See more of his work at www.altamiraart.com. 2 Sculptor and painter Ryan Smith…

Dive bar fights. Drugs. Alcohol. Dilapidated apartments. Loud music dominated by power chords and offtune vocals. A general disdain for authority. A life free of the constraints of the status quo. These aren’t the kinds of things you usually imagine when thinking about Utah, but that contrast is exactly what made the ’80s and ’90s Salt Lake City punk scene stand out. (Writer and director James Merendino even made a film about it.) In his youth, SLC-based Western artist Greg Overton took a stage dive headfirst into that wild world of anarchy, underground music and parties that lasted until 5 a.m. He got into trouble and hung out with seedy crowds, marked by their nonconformity. He was even friends with iconic punk figures like Sean Fightmaster. “It was a real…

Some of the first imagery within Western art are portraits done by George Catlin and Karl Bodmer in the first half of the 19th century. Not only are they early and important entries in the Western art canon, but they are also astounding examples of early American figurative paintings. These subjects, many of them Native American men encountered by the artists on their adventures in the West, have all the qualities of a great portrait, including all of the beautiful imperfections that make humans unique. Artwork featuring the figure has persisted in the genre nearly 200 years since Bodmer and Catlin first painted their formal portraits of their Native American subjects. We’ve included examples here from Dean Cornwell and Winold Reiss, but the list of artists who have given special…

A bigail Gutting’s mother, landscape painter Susan Gutting, once worked at an equine facility. Her father, Randall, grew up around horses and, after a 20-year career in telecommunications, became a doctor in veterinary medicine in his 40s and practices in northern Idaho. “My mom made space for me in her workspace when I was 3 or 4 years old,” Gutting recalls. “That’s how I grew up, with first-hand instruction. In my teens and early 20s I worked with my father and learned the anatomy of many animals. Even today, my father can come into my workspace and immediately see if something is wrong with the anatomy of an animal in my painting.” Susan Gutting has said, “The phenomenon of sunrises, sunsets, moonrises, moonsets, clouds moving across the sky, days changing…

For two days in early August, artist BC Nowlin showcases brand new work at Manitou Galleries. Across a dozen pieces, Nowlin will focus on culture and community with an air of mystery—themes that the artist has developed for the entirety of his career. “I’ve been very influenced by the Native American culture, having grown up near the Sandia Pueblo just south of Santa Fe,” says Nowlin. “…I don’t paint pictures of a specific culture but what appears to be tribal people on journeys. [Simply put], I take the Native American and Hispanic culture I grew up experiencing and spin it all into a ‘world vibe.’” Nowlin depicts his figurative subjects always with their backs to the viewer, allowing for everyone to find their own meaning. The artist himself paints obscurely…