Pond Mansion, Tucson, AZ
November 21
Darcie Peet, Trails of Bluebonnet Blues, Texas Hill Country, oil, 20 x 24.
When an art show has maintained its annual cadence for more than half a century, it’s safe to say it’s officially a staple in the western art world. The Mountain Oyster Club Contemporary Western Art Show & Sale has earned that distinction, with this year marking its 52nd event. On Sunday, November 21, some 350 works of art from about 250 emerging and established artists adorn eight rooms throughout the club’s Pond Mansion in Tucson, AZ. A cocktail reception and sale-by-drawing take place from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance, as space at the club is limited.
-
- Sue Krzyston, Collective Beauty, oil, 30 x 15.
-
- Meadow Gist, Sage Hills, oil, 24 x 18.
-
- Raymond Gibby, Feeling Lucky, bronze, 25 x 14 x 7.
Attendees arrive at the grand mansion via a picturesque Italian cypress-lined road surrounded by decorative gardens and fruit trees. Pulling up to El Dorado Circle, the three-story fieldstone façade with its original 1936 paneled front door welcomes you. Legend has it that the Mountain Oyster Club began as a gathering place for a group of unruly ranchers and cowboys in 1948. Over the years the club has gone through various iterations, but from the beginning, western art has been an important part of its décor and atmosphere. Art lovers who attend the show have a chance to explore not only the artworks that are for sale but also the storied rooms of the club that is otherwise open only to members.
-
- Darcie Peet, Trails of Bluebonnet Blues, Texas Hill Country, oil, 20 x 24.
-
- Ann Hanson, Just Happy, oil, 10 x 8.
-
- Myron Sahlberg, Cowgirl Poetry, oil, 15 x 13.
“This is not a country club,” says Laura Davis, chairperson of the club’s art committee, describing the atmosphere. “The membership here is really unique. It started out as a good ol’ boys’ club but has grown to include so many different types of members. There are still ranchers and cowboys, but there are also lawyers, businesspeople, artists, art collectors—the original Lee jeans model was a member here, and a member of the Cowgirl Hall of Fame was a member. It’s always been the people who make this place what it is.”
-
- Gail Jones Sundell, Gathering Shells, alabaster, 17 x 16 x 5.
-
- Kelly Singleton, Grizzly Dippin’, oil, 24 x 18.
-
- Ken Rowe, Making Waves, bronze, 12 x 8 x 6.
Davis notes that over the 25 years she has worked on this juried show, she has seen the styles and subjects evolve in new directions. “It’s not only cowboys and Indians,” she says. “There is certainly that traditional western subject matter, but there are also contemporary styles.” As an example she names painter Kevin Red Star, who is exhibiting for the first time this year. Other notable participating artists include Howard Post, Gerald Balciar, Cyrus Afsary, Shawn Cameron, and Dave A. Santillanes. All of the works were created within the past year. –Allison Malafronte
contact information
520.792.0319
www.mountainoysterclub.com
This story appeared in the October/November 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.