Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, IN
September 10-October 10
Howard Post, Fenced Pasture, oil, 24 x 48.
At a time when homecomings are so sweet for so many of us, this year’s Quest for the West Art Show and Sale at the Eiteljorg Museum feels especially joyful for western art devotees. Last year’s 15th anniversary show became a virtual event, but now Quest is happening live once again, and with renewed vigor. “Deep friendships have been fostered and formed over the years,” says Johanna M. Blume, the museum’s curator of western art. She expects 200 to 250 people to register for the opening festivities on the weekend of September 10-12, mingling with most of the 51 respected artists in this year’s show.
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- Mark Kelso, Snow Angels, oil, 30 x 48.
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- Brent Cotton, In the Evening Twilight, oil, 12 x 20.
Events kick off on Friday with an afternoon social, during which registered guests and artists alike can tour the treasures on display. At 5 p.m., doors open for a gala reception that includes a luck-of-the-draw sale of about 50 miniature artworks. A special program from 6 to 7:30 p.m. features celebrity guest Wes Studi, the Cherokee actor famed for his roles in such films as Dances With Wolves, The Last of the Mohicans, Geronimo: An American Legend, and Avatar. He also participates on Saturday in a midday artists’ discussion and an evening VIP reception.
John Fawcett, Guardian Angels, oil, 24 x 30.
On Saturday, the focus shifts to the main show’s more than 200 works, with mid-morning and mid-afternoon viewing opportunities. In between those sessions is a luncheon at which the winner of this year’s Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award is announced; the winning work joins the museum’s permanent collection. (A special exhibition this year displays all of the previous winners.) The day concludes with a reception at 5 p.m., during which hopeful buyers place their intent-to-purchase slips in boxes near each artwork; the drawing and sale of the works at 6:30 p.m.; and a banquet and awards ceremony at 8 p.m. Prices in the sale have been set by the artists, and the museum receives a 25 percent commission, which goes toward education, public programs, and exhibitions. Notes Blume, “It’s one of our biggest fundraisers.”
All of the pieces in the main sale are on view through October 10, and works not yet sold remain available for purchase. It’s a prime opportunity to view the latest creations by some of the best western artists of our time. Blume’s enthusiasm abounds for the quality of the offerings. As just two of her personal favorites, she cites “masterful painter” Mian Situ’s MORNING HOURS, a historic scene set in San Francisco’s Chinatown distinguished by “its beautiful, delicate color palette,” and Quest first-timer Autumn Borts-Medlock’s “delightfully whimsical” CHACO PARROT, a bronze whose patterns bespeak the influence of her training as a potter in the traditions of her native Santa Clara Pueblo.
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- Autumn Borts-Medlock, Chaco Parrot, bronze, 12 x 10 x 10.
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- Mian Situ, Morning Hours, oil, 28 x 20.
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- Terri Kelly Moyers, Serenity, oil, 16 x 16.
Following a final breakfast gathering on Sunday morning, opening-weekend attendees bid farewell, having experienced once more the hospitality for which the event has become beloved. “It’s going to feel like a family reunion,” adds Blume, summing up the essence of Quest for the West’s particular appeal. –Norman Kolpas
contact information
317.636.9378
www.eiteljorg.org
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- Rock Newcomb, Fancy Shawl Dance, acrylic, 20 x 16.
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- Gerald Balciar, Cactus Perch, bronze, 12 x 9 x 5.
This story appeared in the August/September 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.