Show Preview | Weekend in the West - Southwest Art Magazine

Evergreen, CO
Lucky Penny Ranch, September 21-22

Stephen LeBlanc, The Chase, bronze, h13.

This story was featured in the September 2018 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2018 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

Twenty-five big names in western art gather at Lucky Penny Ranch in Evergreen, CO, this month to paint, sculpt, and hobnob with patrons in a festive revival of the Weekend in the West show. The ticketed two-day event kicks off on Friday, September 21, and includes Quick Draw competitions, a live auction, and an art sale featuring more than 50 paintings and sculptures by such artists as Edward Aldrich, Ron Hicks, Ed Kucera, and Amy Laugesen.

: Edward Aldrich, Curious, oil, 14 x 10.

: Edward Aldrich, On the Scent, oil, 24 x 24.

: Maeve Eichelberger, Leather Weave, acrylic, 20 x 12 x 8.

Formerly hosted each summer by local gallery Evergreen Fine Art, the popular art show and sale came to a temporary halt in 2017 when owners Philip Shanley and Barbara Hadley retired and their gallery subsequently closed. With the blessing and support of Shanley and Hadley, local art patron Andrew McWilliams and his wife Heather teamed up with fellow art patron Robin Black and a task force of volunteers to bring the well-loved event back to the community. Lucky Penny Ranch may be a new venue for the show, but its mission remains the same: to bring top fine artists together with collectors in a celebration of art. “The artists are all wonderful people, so this is a chance to talk to them, see them work, and then take artworks home with you,” says McWilliams.

: Amy Laugesen, Ancient One, ceramic, 27 x 26 x 13. Photo by Stephen Hume.

: Amy Laugesen, Hayden Heritage, ceramic, 14 x 15 x 7. Photo by Stephen Hume.

: Rodgers Naylor, Meanwhile, oil, 12 x 24.

The show opens with a reception at 4 p.m. on Friday, when guests can peruse a variety of artworks in a beautiful indoor show arena. Works range in style and subject matter, from stylized portrayals of horses to representational depictions of the western countryside, hillside barns, longhorns, and crocus blooms. At 4:30 p.m., the artists paint and sculpt their way through a brisk, hour-long Quick Draw of miniature works. On Saturday morning at 9 a.m., patrons enjoy mimosas and a light brunch before a 90-minute Quick Draw gets underway at 10 a.m. A live auction of all the competition pieces—roughly 40 in total—promptly follows.

Proceeds from art sales are donated to Bootstraps, a local nonprofit that assists college-bound students in financial need. “It’s so wonderful to get to know the artists, their personalities, and their stories, and to offer them this exposure in the community and then funnel the proceeds into a nonprofit is cool,” says McWilliams of the trifecta. “It’s just a win-win-win.” —Kim Agricola

contact information
www.facebook.com/weekendinthewestartshow