Show Preview | Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale

Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, WY
August 21-September 20

Terry Donahue, Emergent, pastel 24 x 48.

This story was featured in the September 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2013 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!

More than 100 of the nation’s leading western painters and sculptors gather in Cody, WY, for the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale this month. The show opens on August 21 with a reception and auction of miniature works. A number of other events accompany the annual presentation throughout September. On September 16-17, landscape painter Michael Ome Untiedt conducts a plein-air painting workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the historic UXU Ranch. Also, the show’s featured artist, sculptor Charles Ringer, offers a tour of his studio on Thursday, September 19. Ringer works in steel, cutting, pounding, welding, and polishing the hard material to create his whimsical pieces.

Karen Vance, Living Waters, oil, 14 x 18.

The show’s grand finale weekend begins on Friday, September 20, with artists’ demonstrations at local galleries during the day and then a gala dinner and live auction in the evening. A 60-minute Quick Draw takes place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 21, and is followed by a champagne brunch and auction. Among this year’s participating artists are Steven Lee Adams, Ty Barhaug, Bruce Graham, Dustin Payne, John Potter, Ann Hanson, and Teal Blake.

Landscape painter Karen Vance has five works on view this year. One of the them, LIVING WATERS, was started on the banks of the Upper Colorado River and completed in her studio. “Capturing the life and soul of moving water is an exciting challenge—one that I truly relished in this painting,” Vance says. The Colorado-based painter has participated in the show for 10 years and considers it one of the most fun and best-organized events in the art world, which makes it well attended by both artists and collectors.

Nelson Boren, Going Fish’n Cowboy Style, watercolor, 45 x 45.

Nebraska wildlife artist Terry Donahue agrees. Donahue’s piece EMERGENT is included in this year’s show. The wildlife painting was inspired by several days spent in Yellowstone National Park observing the movements of groups of bison, some engaged in combat. “Even though I had many images of the battles that ensued, it was the moments leading up to the confrontation that were so intriguing,” Donahue says. “You could sense something was about to happen. It was as if the very ground around the bulls knew it and started to envelope them in dust. It was this moment I sought to capture in EMERGENT.”

Nelson Boren, a 15-year show veteran from Idaho, displays his signature brand of humor in a piece titled GOING FISH’N COWBOY STYLE, which depicts cowboy boots adorned with images of trout. “I love to trout fish, and occasionally I do fishing pieces. So why not paint some cowboy boots with trout on them?” he says.

The Cody Country Chamber of Commerce presents the show in conjunction with the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, with proceeds benefitting both organizations. The show and its events are considered the cornerstone of Cody’s annual five-day celebration of western arts and design known collectively as Rendezvous Royale. —Bonnie Gangelhoff

contact information
888.598.8119
 www.buffalobillartshow.com

Featured in the September 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art September 2013 print issue or digital download
Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!