Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX
March 25-May 8
Michael Dudash, Travelin’ Slow on a Tough Trail, oil, 36 x 40.
Two years ago, just 10 days before its largest annual fundraiser was due to open, the Briscoe Western Art Museum was forced to transform the Night of Artists show and sale into an online event due to the pandemic lockdown. The museum created a hybrid event in 2021. This year—unforeseen circumstances aside—“We’re going back to our tried-and-true formula,” enthuses Michael Duchemin, the museum’s president and CEO, adding that “we’re looking forward to returning to the new normal” with the 2022 edition.
The celebration kicks off with a Thursday-evening welcome reception for the Bison Society, the museum’s top 50 established and newer collectors. The official opening unfolds on Friday and Saturday, March 25-26, including opportunities to preview more than 300 pieces by 80 artists, as well as two Collectors Summit panel discussions. Friday’s highlight is a dinner and live auction of 30 select pieces. “It’s a great show,” says Duchemin of the fun exchanges between bidders and nationally recognized auctioneer Troy Black. Saturday features an awards luncheon and, come evening, a luck-of-the-draw sale of most of the artworks, plus a reception and dancing.
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- Donna Howell-Sickles, Afternoon Rein, acrylic, 36 x 58.
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- Dave LaMure Jr., Sonoran Serenade, bronze, 17 x 14.
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- Ezra Tucker, Bass Reeves, U.S. Marshal, acrylic, 40 x 30.
The show’s paintings and sculptures come from some of the nation’s finest western artists. Among past participants bringing new work this year, Duchemin points to Donna Howell-Sickles, who is returning to Night of Artists after many years and is widely beloved for her spirited images of self-reliant Texas cowgirls. Colorado-based Ezra Tucker, whose historical paintings often celebrate Black characters in the Old West, brings a piece depicting fearless lawman Bass Reeves. Teresa Elliott’s close-up images of Texas longhorns are sometimes compared to “the portraiture coming out of Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries,” he says. Finally, Chinese-born American painter Z.S. Liang has dedicated himself to portraying authentically detailed Native American scenes. “He always comes up with something new and different,” notes Duchemin.
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- Brenda Kingery, Light Walking, acrylic, 22 x 15.
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- Don Oelze, Scouts at the Old Mission, oil, 46 x 38.
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- Teresa Elliott, Skinner, oil, 33 x 36.
The Briscoe’s president is particularly excited about the 10 or so new artists joining the gathering for the first time this year. They include Brenda Kingery, whose acrylic paintings combine her traditional Chickasaw imagery with an abstract sensibility; Dave LaMure Jr., who sculpts bronze vessels that combine traditional native styles with bold contemporary sensibilities; and Jim Vogel, who chronicles his home state of New Mexico in vividly graphic oil paintings.
Such a wealth of artworks on view brings the promise that Night of Artists is back with greater vitality than ever. Concludes Duchemin, “We put on one of the best parties you can find anywhere in western art.” —Norman Kolpas
contact information
210.299.4499
www.briscoemuseum.org
This story appeared in the February/March 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.