Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY
September 19-24
Grant Redden, Night Rider, oil, 24 x 24.
When Grant Redden’s kids were little, he would sometimes dress them in various colors and take them outside on full-moon nights to see the effects of moonlight on colors like blues, reds, or whites. Redden, a lifelong Wyoming resident and acclaimed western artist, loves nocturnes—especially the challenge they provide for experimenting with color. NIGHT RIDER, which portrays a moonlit cowboy on horseback, is his auction piece for the 41st annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, set to take place September 19-24 at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, WY.
Redden is among the more than 100 contemporary western artists invited to show their works in oil, watercolor, pastel, bronze, and other mediums at the annual event. This year’s artist lineup includes such names as Howard Post, Kevin Red Star, Julie T. Chapman, T.D. Kelsey, Donna Howell-Sickles, and Nelson Boren. “We’ve had 41 consecutive years—we didn’t stop during Covid,” notes show director Kathy Thompson.
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- Mark McKenna, Embrace, oil, 40 x 40.
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- Michele Usibelli, First Light, Heart Mountain, Cody, WY, oil, 20 x 24.
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- Tucker Smith, Wyoming Buffalo, oil, 20 x 24.
Along with the excitement of the live auction on the evening of Friday, September 23, the Buy-it-Now Sale offers the opportunity to view and purchase smaller pieces. In addition, the Scout’s Miniature Sale hangs in the Center of the West from now through September, and the popular Quick Draw & Sale on the morning of Saturday, September 24, sees 30 of the participating artists produce complete paintings in 90 minutes, followed by a catered brunch and live auction of the finished works.
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- Sally Maxwell, Bill’s in a Bad Mood, colored scratchboard, 36 x 24.
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- Joshua Tobey, Joy of Life, bronze, 65 x 14 x 14.
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- Ann Hanson, Boss Hat, oil, 24 x 18.
Among the other scheduled events are workshops and demonstrations, including a demo by Texas wildlife artist Sally Maxwell, a pioneer in the medium of scratchboard. The white clay board is primed with black India ink, into which the artist etches her design and then applies colored India inks using watercolor techniques, repeating the process in numerous layers. “It’s like sculpting in 2D,” says Maxwell, who has been working in scratchboard for 55 years. Her piece for the live auction, BILL’S IN A BAD MOOD, depicts a striking bison inspired by one she saw standing in the middle of the road in Yellowstone National Park. “The stare he gave me just seemed to have a frown,” she says.
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- Brandon Bailey, January Thaw, oil, 36 x 48.
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- David Mensing, Held, oil, 24 x 30.
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- Walter Matia, Talkin’ ’Bout My Girl, bronze, 41 x 16 x 8.
For Brandon Bailey of Scottsbluff, NE, the western genre opens a window into a timeless world where he was once able to witness draft horses still used to pull hay-laden sleds to waiting cattle. JANUARY THAW depicts a pair of workhorses in a barn on the kind of winter day “that gives you hope about spring,” Bailey says. From experience, he adds: “Then the next day can be a blizzard.”
The western experience is sure to be celebrated in many ways as the small town of Cody rolls out the red carpet for visitors. Art lovers who attend the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale can anticipate “the most fun they can have and still be legal,” Thompson says with a laugh. “The events are not to be missed this year.” —Gussie Fauntleroy
contact information
307.587.5002
www.rendezvousroyale.org
This story appeared in the August/September 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.