Western Art Collector October 2025/No. 218

Welcome to Western Art Collector! It is with great pride that we present the 15th annual Western Museum Directory. Michael Clawson, our revered museum expert, provides some great insight in his editor’s letter. We highlight 13 museums in the directory, and then we have eight previews of upcoming exhibitions. These are the top Western art museums in the United States, and we have in-depth information on all of them, including their upcoming shows and events. These museums house some of the greatest pieces of Western history and heritage. The guide starts on Page 57. Be sure to use it as you make travel plans around the country. We hear from collectors almost every day about a piece they bought from a gallery, museum or direct from an artist. Sometimes these…

This month we celebrate museums with our annual Western Museum Directory. We really pulled out all the stops and tried to include everything we could get our hands on, and trust me, the cuts we made were difficult and painful. There are just so many great shows. Too many to fit in the issue. Some of the exhibitions we had to cut are going to end up in later issues, but even those issues are going to be full of great museum content. This may sound like I’m complaining, but what an amazing problem to have! One of the exciting elements of our museum coverage—in every issue, not just this one—is the diversity of museums we feature. Of course, some of these venues are the great Western art destinations that…

October 18-December 31 Woolaroc Exhibition & Sale WOOLAROC MUSEUM & WILDLIFE PRESERVE Bartlesville, OK – (918) 336-0307 www.woolaroc.org September September 26-October 7 Brad Overton: Symbols and Symmetries BLUE RAIN GALLERY Santa Fe, NM – (505) 954-9902 www.blueraingallery.com October Through October 3 Golden Age Influencers NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION Newport, RI – (401) 851-8949 www.americanillustration.org October 3-4 A Weekend with Colt Idol LEGACY GALLERY SANTA FE Santa Fe, NM – (505) 986-9833 www.legacygallery.com October 3-24 Kenny McKenna: From Hill Country to High Desert INSIGHT GALLERY Fredericksburg, TX – (830) 997-9920 www.insightgallery.com October 3-December 31 Resonance 2025: 4th Annual Art Invitational A.R. MITCHELL MUSEUM OF WESTERN ART Trinidad, CO – (719) 846-4224 www.armitchellmuseum.com October 3-24 Kenny McKenna: From Hill Country to High Desert INSIGHT GALLERY Fredericksburg, TX – (830) 997-9920 www.insightgallery.com Oct.…

Through December 2025 Fistful of Colors WESTERN SPIRIT: SCOTTSDALE’S MUSEUM OF THE WEST Scottsdale, AZ – (480) 686-9539 www.westernspirit.org Through January 4, 2026 Birds in Art LEIGH YAWKEY WOODSON ART MUSEUM Wausau, WI – (715) 845-7010 www.lywam.org Through January 11, 2026 Selections from the Janis and Roy Coffee Collection TAOS ART MUSEUM AT FECHIN HOUSE Taos, NM – (575) 758-2690 www.taosartmuseum.org Through January 31, 2026 Ed Mell • Maynard Dixon: Icons of the West MAYNARD DIXON MUSEUM Tucson, AZ – (520) 722-7798 www.maynarddixonmuseum.org Through February 22, 2026 Gustave Baumann NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF ART Santa Fe, NM - (505) 476-5063 www.nmartmuseum.org…

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 12, 2025 Western Trading Post’s Advanced Collector’s Auction Wickenburg, AZ – (520) 426-7702 November 14-15, 2025 Tehachapi Arts Commission Art 2025 Show Tehachapi, CA – (626) 945-3753 November 29-30 SWAIA Winter Market Santa Fe, NM – (505) 983-5220 January 2026 (Dates TBA) Petrie Institute of Western Art Symposium Denver, CO – (720) 865-5000 January 8, 2026 Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale Denver, CO – (303) 291-2567 January 23-24, 2026 Old West Show & Auction Las Vegas, NV – (877) 968-8880 February 14-15, 2026 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition Charleston, SC – (843) 723-1748 March 2026 (Dates TBA)…

During an installation and unveiling ceremony on July 26, the Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland, Colorado, presented a new bronze monument by sculptor Amanda Markel to the public. More than 100 people were in attendance as her piece Ridge Runners was unveiled for the first time. The monument will remain a permanent installation at the Colorado garden. The venue, recognized as one of the 200 most important modern and contemporary art sites worldwide and among the top 20 must-see contemporary art destinations in the United States, is home to a collection valued at more than $5 million. Presently, more than 188 sculptures are on view at the garden, which is home to the annual Sculpture in the Park, one of the most prestigious sculpture events in the country. The bronze…