Great Falls Elks Lodge, Great Falls, MT
March 18-20
Oleg Stavrowsky, Changing of the Guard, oil, 24 x 48. Estimate: $6,000-$8,000.
For the last 50 years, Western Art Week in Great Falls, MT, has been a mainstay for collectors interested in a variety of western art, from paintings, sculpture, and photographs to furniture, textiles, and jewelry. During the last 34 years, the March in Montana Auction and Dealer Show—currently presented by Coeur d’Alene Galleries and the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction—has made its presence known during the week by becoming one of the most unique presentations of western and Native American artwork around.
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- John Coleman, The Greeter—Black Moccasin, Hidatsa Chief, bronze, 23 x 20 x 12. Estimate: $6,000-$9,000.
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- Crow or Nez Perce Bridle Frontlet, ca. 1870, 16 x 9. Estimate: $3,000-$4,000.
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- Navajo Blanket, ca. 1890, 60 x 89. Estimate: $5,000-$7,000.
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- Olaf C. Seltzer, Elk Herd, oil/elk hide, 52 x 38. Estimate: $15,000-$25,000.
Western Art Week coincides with the birthday of legendary painter and hometown hero Charles M. Russell, and this year’s auction takes place at the Great Falls Elks Lodge, where Russell was once a member. And the strong connection to western art history doesn’t end there. “March in Montana 2021 has the widest selection of western historical offerings we’ve seen in years, particularly paintings,” says managing partner Ron Nicklas. “We specialize in finding unique pieces by great artists, and there are a lot of them this year. Several rare works from Oleg Stavrowsky, Olaf Seltzer—including a herd of elk painted on an elk hide—Joseph Sharp, and William Gollings are among them.”
Altogether the auction features 740 lots from two large estates and more than 140 additional consigners. In addition to historic pieces, numerous contemporary paintings and sculpture are also available—including a bronze portrait of a Hidatsa chief by well-known artist John Coleman—as well as a vast selection of Native American beadwork, weavings, and other artifacts. Nicklas notes that the more than 60 weavings in this year’s auction are the best to come to market in years. March in Montana’s popular dealer show returns this year as well, with seven dealers exhibiting and selling artwork on site.
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- Joseph Sharp, Taos Landscape, oil, 30 x 36. Estimate: $60,000-$90,000.
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- Navajo Yei Rug, ca. 1920, 69 x 112. Estimate: $6,000-$9,000.
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- Navajo Blanket, ca. 1890, 60 x 89. Estimate: $5,000-$7,000.
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- Sioux Tobacco Bag, ca. 1885, D26. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000.
Previews of auction items are held at the Elks Lodge each day, and the live auction takes place in two sessions, on Friday and Saturday. Collectors can bid either in person—organizers are expecting a good turnout of collectors and participating artists, health restrictions permitting—or online through the event’s website. –Allison Malafronte
contact information
208.664.2091
www.marchinmontana.com
This story appeared in the March/April 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.