Auction Preview | March in Montana - Southwest Art Magazine

Great Falls, MT
Elks Lodge #214, March 19-21

**Update: March in Montana is taking place as scheduled. Due to coronavirus concerns, there will be no in-person viewing or bidding; online, phone, and absentee bidding are available. Please check the event website for further information.

Edgar Paxson, Marcus Daly Ranch, Hamilton, gouache, 22 x 51. Estimate: $30,000-$50,000.

This story was featured in the March/April 2020 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art March/April 2020 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

THE ANNUAL MARCH in Montana sale—a vital and longstanding part of Western Art Week in Great Falls, MT—is known for its robust offerings in western-themed paintings and sculpture, cowboy collectibles, and Native American weavings and other artifacts. The 33rd annual sale is no exception, with 740 lots ranging from masterworks by historic greats like William Standing, Edgar Paxson, and Philip Goodwin to exemplary pieces by contemporary talents like Andy Thomas, Charles Fritz, and Randy Van Beek. Auction previews are held every day between Thursday, March 19, and Saturday, March 21, at Elks Lodge #214. The sale culminates in a live auction on both Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m.

: Harper Henry, Dances With Ancestors, oil, 30 x 24. Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.

: William Standing, The Last Chase, oil, 38 x 69. Estimate: $25,000-$35,000.

: Abigail Gutting, Always, oil, 24 x 30. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000.

One of the notable highlights of this year’s sale is the sheer number of Montana gems up for bid, says auction partner Ron Nicklas of Coeur d’Alene Galleries, which partners with the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction to present the sale. “There are about a half dozen pieces by William Standing,” he notes, pointing to a large painting of a buffalo hunt as one example by the Assiniboine artist (1904-1951). Entitled THE LAST CHASE, the work was discovered in a storage unit in Billings, MT, and is making its auction debut with a sales estimate of $25,000-$35,000. “It hung in a bar in eastern Montana for many years,” Nicklas adds of the Standing work. “It’s fun just because of its historical ramifications.”

There’s also been buzz, says Nicklas, about an Edgar Paxson painting in gouache entitled MARCUS DALY RANCH, HAMILTON. Dated 1908 and expected to fetch up to $50,000, the work was a commission that features Montana copper baron Marcus Daly’s ranch in the Bitterroot Valley. “And, of course, there’s a Philip Goodwin painting, THE RACE,” says Nicklas. “He’s one of our favorite artists in the gallery and in the auction, and this is a great illustration by Goodwin from 1904, so we’re excited about it.”

: Michelle Kondos, Charlie Tells a Tall One, oil, 40 x 30. Estimate: $7,000-$10,000.

: Thomas Molesworth, Pair of Straight Legged Club Chairs, circa 1945, 31 x 29. Estimate: $30,000-$50,000.

: Bob Scriver, Montana Trapper, 1976, bronze, 15 x 6 x 7. Estimate: $800-$1,200.

Other gems in the sale include such unique pieces as a Pikuni Blackfeet pictograph by artist Arrow Top Knot, 19th-century Sioux beaded moccasins, and a pair of Thomas Molesworth club chairs. “The market for Molesworth has been absolutely on fire,” Nicklas says of the midcentury American furniture designer. “One of the things people appreciate about this sale is that we stumble upon unusual items every year,” adds Nicklas. “We cast a wide net.” —Kim Agricola

contact information
208.664.2091
www.marchinmontana.com