Pond Mansion, Tucson, AZ
November 20
Rachel Brownlee, Mere Breath, charcoal, 24 x 34.
For the latest in western works by today’s top artists, it doesn’t get much fresher than the Mountain Oyster Club Contemporary Western Art Show and Sale. Because the show requires that the works be made within the past year, “We’ve had some artists hand us paintings and tell us, ‘Don’t touch it; it’s still wet,’” laughs Laura Davis, now in her third year as art committee chairperson.
The 53rd annual show, juried from more than 1,200 submissions, features almost 300 works by more than 200 emerging and established painters and sculptors. Subjects include western landscapes, figures, portraits, still lifes, and wildlife in oil, acrylic, watercolor, bronze, wood, and more. The sale takes place over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from 3 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 20, at one of Tucson’s beautifully historic settings. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and works are sold in a fixed-price drawing.
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- Sue Krzyston, The Character of Age, oil, 20 x 24.
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- Tom Murray, Late Canyon Storm, oil, 16 x 12.
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- William Hook, Patience Is a Virtue, oil, 16 x 12.
The event is worth attending not only to take in the impressive artwork but also to absorb the ambiance and décor of the Pond Mansion, home to the Mountain Oyster Club. Legend has it that the club began as a gathering place for a group of unruly ranchers and cowboys in 1948, eventually moving to its current site about 20 years ago. “We’re not a gallery, so our space is unique,” Davis says of the eight rooms, including a bar and card room, throughout which the art is displayed.
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- John Fawcett, Connected, oil, 12 x 9.
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- Ken Rowe, Desert Blossom, bronze, 11 x 5 x 5.
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- Allen Polt, White Man’s Hat, oil, 49 x 25.
This year’s artist roster includes John Fawcett, William Hook, Tom Murray, Sue Krzyston, Lorenzo Chavez, and Allen Polt, and two new Honorary Artist Members, painters Chuck Albanese and Cynthia Rosen. Three artists—Richard Iams, Frederick Hambly, and Michael Ewing—are collaborating on a painting again this year. Rancher and charcoal artist Rachel Brownlee, last year’s Best of Show Award winner, returns for her second year. Davis is proud of the show’s commitment to discovering emerging artists such as Brownlee, whose appearance in 2021 was her entrée onto the western art scene.
Davis, whose father was a club member and art committee chairperson for years, notes that the event has evolved since her high school days when she helped with the show. “What I’ve observed is the growth—of the artists, the submissions, the quality, and the attendance,” she says. “It’s just gotten to be a much bigger event, and it’s constantly evolving.” —Beth Williams
contact information
520.792.0319
www.mountainoysterclub.com
This story appeared in the October/November 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.