Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX
March 24-May 7
Echo Ukrainetz, Dance by the Light of the Moon, batik/gold leaf, 24 x 20.
There’s verifiable evidence that in Texas, folks just do things on a grander scale. That certainly holds true for Night of Artists, now in its 22nd year as the annual chief fundraiser for the Briscoe Western Art Museum. The 2023 edition of the exhibition and sale—which opens the weekend of March 24-25 with a roster of dazzling parties, two expert symposia, an auction, and a sale-by-drawing—remains on public view through May 7. It features approximately 300 artworks from some 80 top western artists, on display in two floors of the museum’s 8,000-square-foot Jack Guenther Pavilion. Last year’s similarly sized gathering grossed $2.6 million, more than two and a half times as much as Night of Artists brought in just six years earlier.
Beyond the vibrant health of the western art market, much of that success is due to the efforts and expertise of Briscoe president and CEO Michael Duchemin, who first ran Night of Artists in 2017. He has been spearheading such events for more than 25 years, having previously been at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles and the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, MT. He has chosen this year’s roster in concert with Emily Wilson, the Briscoe’s curator of art.
- Eric Bowman, Twilight, oil, 16 x 20.
- Kenny McKenna, Daybreak on the Chisos, oil, 14 x 26.
- Billy Schenck, Rider From the Heart 3 Ranch, oil, 45 x 45.
Many of the artists are present for the ticketed events of the opening weekend—with some coming on Thursday evening to mingle with members of the Bison Society, comprised of about 50 individual collectors or couples, for a cocktail gathering at the nearby Hotel Contessa. Friday afternoon and Saturday morning feature two panel discussions in the Collectors Summit, with Friday’s focusing on issues facing longtime collectors and Saturday’s on how to begin a western art collection.
Friday night’s preview dinner features a live auction of 30 select works. Come Saturday, all art is on view to event ticketholders from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. before the exhibition space readies for the evening’s gala cocktail reception and main sale, followed by a buffet dinner, music, and dancing.
- Jeremy Winborg, Dream Catcher, oil, 24 x 36.
- Kent Ullberg, Tyger Tyger, bronze, 11 x 18 x 6.
- George Hallmark, Sombras de San Miguel, oil on linen, 40 x 40.
Of course, the art itself is the main attraction, on display throughout the opening weekend and then to the public into early May. Among the highlights Duchemin mentions is Billy Schenck’s RIDER FROM THE HEART 3 RANCH, a large-scale oil that reinterprets through the artist’s pop sensibility a classic subject Remington or Russell might have portrayed. Curt Mattson’s appealing limited-edition bronze BUNK HOUSE SCHOLAR features a tired ranch hand and his dog relaxing with a stack of books. “Curt’s work is always dynamic and well crafted,” says Duchemin.
- Ezra Tucker, The New Attraction, acrylic, 20 x 30.
- Barry Eisenach, Thunder on the Plains, oil, 32 x 35.
- Curt Mattson, Bunk House Scholar, bronze, 16 x 9 x 13.
Enthralling for its nocturnal air of mystery, DANCE BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON by Great Falls, MT, artist Echo Ukrainetz is the only batik work in the show, with the added allure of a gold-leaf moon. “She’s become a fan favorite,” Duchemin notes. And Ezra Tucker’s THE NEW ATTRACTION imagines a buffalo and her newborn calf nestled in the straw of a tent at a Wild West show. Says Duchemin, “Ezra has that real ability to add historical context to a wildlife painting, bringing the history of the American West to life.”
Similar superlatives are appropriate for Night of Artists. In its support of a major museum, its number and range of artists, artworks, and events, and the sheer quality of the works, it may be no stretch at all to say that its impact is as big as Texas. —Norman Kolpas
contact information
210.299.4499
www.briscoemuseum.org
This story appeared in the February/March 2023 issue of Southwest Art magazine.