Auction Preview | Coeur d’Alene Art Auction

Reno, NV
Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, July 28-29

Tom Lovell, U.S. Dragoons in Texas, oil, 19 x 32. Estimate: $80,000-$120,000.

Tom Lovell, U.S. Dragoons in Texas, oil, 19 x 32. Estimate: $80,000-$120,000.

This story was featured in the July 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art  July 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

On Friday, July 28, the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, NV, unveils more than 300 artworks up for bid in the 32nd annual Coeur d’Alene Art Auction. The resort did major renovations over the past several years, and auction partner Mike Overby says he’s excited to be back at the Grand Sierra, which hosts an auction preview from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and a cocktail party that evening from 6 to 8 p.m. The auction begins at noon on Saturday.

Overby anticipates a big draw being William R. Leigh’s painting entitled A CLOSE CALL. “It’s a beautiful oil, and it hasn’t been on the market in 30 years,” he says. “It was purchased in 1991 by its current owners, and it has never been to auction.” The painting is expected to fetch between $800,000 and $1.2 million. Overby is equally excited about Thomas Moran’s THE RIO VIRGIN, SOUTHERN UTAH. “It’s a spectacular piece, and we’ve done very well with Moran paintings over the years. This was in a longtime family collection.” The oil is estimated to sell for between $600,000 and $900,000.

Although the majority of the auction is composed of oils, watercolors, and drawings produced between 1880 and 1940, there is also a selection of bronzes by C.M. Russell and Frederic Remington,as well as work by select contemporary artists. The latter includes Howard Terpning’s WHISKEY SMUGGLERS ($400,000-$600,000), LOST AND FOUND by Martin Grelle ($150,000-$250,000), and ALBERTA FALLS by Richard Schmid ($60,000-$90,000).

Headlining the wildlife and sporting offerings is a collection of David Shepherd paintings including ELEPHANT HEAVEN and ANGRY ELEPHANTS, each estimated to sell for $50,000 to $75,000. Also of note are Philip R. Goodwin’s MOOSE HUNTERS ($100,000-$150,000) and Bob Kuhn’s
THE PREDATOR ($60,000-$90,000).

Unique to this year’s auction is a group of 26 wagon replicas hand-fashioned by Dale and Brian Ford. The series began as a father-son collaboration, and after Dale’s passing, Brian completed the project over the course of about three years. Each wagon is 16 inches tall, and the collection includes everything from the humble Conestoga and sheepherder’s wagons to polished and painted coaches for travel in style. “These are exact [scale] replicas of real wagons back in the day, right down to the ropes, hitches, everything,” Overby explains. “Even if you don’t know anything about western art, you look at these wagons, and you go ‘Wow!’ I’ve never seen a collection like this come to market.” The collection has been divided into two lots of 13 wagons each, and each lot is estimated to sell for between $50,000 and $75,000.

While there is no substitute for attending the auction in person and seeing the works firsthand, phone, absentee, and online bidding are all available. “We typically get 500 to 600 collectors that fly in for the sale,” Overby says. “The whole weekend is a great time. It’s almost like going into a museum where everything is available for sale.” —Laura Rintala

contact information
208.772.9009
www.cdaartauction.com

This story was featured in the July 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art  July 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

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