National Western Complex, Denver, CO
January 7-22
Lisa Gleim, I Would Steer Clear, mixed media, 27 x 33.
Kicking off the new year with one of the most anticipated annual shows in the western art market is the 30th anniversary edition of the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, taking place during the National Western Stock Show from January 7-22. Approximately 375 fine-art works from 75 participating artists take center stage on the third floor of the National Western Complex during this 16-day event. All works are for sale, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the National Western Scholarship Trust.
Preview receptions from December 5-8 provide the first glimpses from the collection of finely curated works in the main show. They lead up to the red-carpet gala reception on Tuesday, January 3, at which the artwork is available for purchase through a fixed-price drawing. During this ticketed, tables-only gala, up to three smaller works from each exhibiting artist are also for sale via a miniatures auction. One of the Denver art community’s social events of the season, the reception allows attendees to network and connect with fellow collectors, artists, and National Western Stock Show supporters.
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- Quang Ho, First Snow, oil, 7 x 11.
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- Dan Chen, One in Every Bunch, bronze, 15 x 24 x 13.
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- Rick Young, Rio Grande Reverie, oil, 38 x 38.
Walking the halls of the art-filled upstairs gallery, attendees find such subjects as spectacular landscapes, rural mountain vistas, wildlife, conventional and unconventional still lifes, cowboy culture, and more. These timeless genres are portrayed through the lens of contemporary painters and sculptors.
“What makes this show unique is the variety of interpretations of the West,” says curator Rose Fredrick. “These artists are offering us modern takes on traditional western subjects and pushing the envelope, whether through combining media—painting, photography, digital—or, in the case of someone like painter Ezra Tucker, offering us a fresh look through an African-American lens and shining a spotlight on overlooked individuals who helped shaped western history.”
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- Ezra Tucker, Bass Reeve—U.S. Marshal, acrylic, 40 x 30.
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- Howard Post, Remnant of the Remuda, oil, 30 x 42.
This year talented women artists stake a larger claim among those chosen for the show, including Kim Lordier, Laurie Kersey, Lisa Gleim, Raye Leith, Sally Maxwell, Barbara Van Cleve, Adrienne Stein, and Megan J. Seiter, among others. “The women exhibiting this year are some of the strongest I’ve seen in the last 27 years of curating this exhibition,” Fredrick says. They join Coors staples such as Howard Post, William Matthews, Quang Ho, Skip Whitcomb, and Joel Ostlind. Sculptor Dan Chen is this year’s featured artist. His compelling work, such as ONE IN EVERY BUNCH, focuses on nature and wildlife art.
Leading up to the main event, Fredrick’s Inside the Studio recorded tours of exhibiting artists’ creative spaces are available on the Coors website. Twice-weekly curator-led gallery tours beginning January 7 offer further education and insight into the stories behind the artwork and those who created them. “If someone is considering attending the show for the first time, this is a great way to get acquainted with the artwork and the artists beforehand,” says Fredrick. “It really brings the show to life.”
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- Kim Lordier, The Triad, pastel, 12 x 24.
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- Jim Morgan, Beaver Pond in Winter, oil, 24 x 36.
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- Joseph McGurl, Fishing the Colorado, oil, 20 x 16.
As in years past, the Young Guns of the National Western Stock Show—a group promoting art, philanthropy, western culture, and networking for young professionals 40 and under—preludes the main show with an exhibition of its own titled Rhinestone Rodeo at the National Western Complex on December 8. —Allison Malafronte
contact information
303.291.2567
www.coorswesternart.com
This story appeared in the December 2022/January 2023 issue of Southwest Art magazine.