It’s art-show season in the West
by Kristin Hoerth
Las Flores by Terri Kelly Moyers
This story was featured in the August 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art August 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
It’s the height of summer, and that means it’s time for a slew of art shows in the West, from big invitationals to plein-air festivals to auctions and more. At this time of year it’s hard to find a weekend when there isn’t an opportunity to see great art! In June I had the chance to attend one of the western art world’s major annual events, and I want to share some highlights with you here.
At the Prix de West Invitational, held at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, the galleries were full of impressive paintings and sculpture, as usual. This year’s purchase award went to David Leffel for his portrait titled JONATHAN WARM DAY COMING. The portrait depicts Leffel’s friend, a Native American storyteller and artist who was born and raised on the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico. “Jonathan is a warmhearted and generous human being. As soon as he’d put on the heirloom Indian blanket, he transformed into a regal and ceremonial subject of study,” Leffel said. The artist added that the blanket worn by Warm Day Coming goes back many generations and is rarely seen today.
T. Allen Lawson received the Robert Lougheed Memorial Award, which is the artists’ choice award for the best display of three or more works. One of Lawson’s paintings, BURR CANYON CINEMA, also received the Directors’ Choice Award for Outstanding Landscape, a new award this year. The buyers’ choice award went to LAS FLORES by Terri Kelly Moyers, one in the artist’s popular series of paintings depicting women wearing elaborate embroidered shawls.
There was a tie for the Frederic Remington Painting Award: Bill Anton’s DEEP IN THE WIND RIVERS and Jeremy Lipking’s BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT were both honored. The Major General and Mrs. Don D. Pittman Wildlife Award went to Greg Beecham for ANOTHER BALMY DAY ON CAPTAIN HUDSON’S BAY. The James Earle Fraser Sculpture Award went to Doug Hyde for a piece called TRADITIONAL OR CONTEMPORARY DESIGN?. The Express Ranches Great American Cowboy Award went to Bill Nebeker for COLD MORNIN’ COW CAMP. And finally, the Donald Teague Memorial Award for works on paper went to Susan Lyon for JUANITA WITH RED RIBBONS. The highest-selling artwork was a painting by guest artist Z.S. Liang titled IN QUEST OF THE CREE, which sold for $78,000. Total sales for the weekend were approximately $2.6 million.
Featured in the August 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art August 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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