Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, IN
September 7-October 5
The Eiteljorg Museum’s Quest for the West Art Show and Sale comprises an array of traditional and contemporary imagery inspired by the vast and complex American West. The eagerly awaited annual event promises its usual fanfare, but this year that fanfare will be amplified as the museum celebrates 20 years of this landmark fundraiser.
John Fawcett, Horsepower, watercolor, 17 x 27.
Quest for the West—which will have its art sale weekend September 5 and 6—features nearly 200 paintings and sculptures from 49 artists selected by the Eiteljorg’s Western Art Society, museum leadership and curatorial staff. The main event on Saturday, September 6, offers an opportunity for artists and guests to mingle before collectors vie for the artwork in a luck-of-the-draw sale. This format gives each collector who has entered the chance to be selected to purchase their favorite piece or pass it to the next name drawn. Another highlight of the evening is the awards ceremony, which includes the coveted Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award.
A miniatures sale, a lecture by Dr. Mindy Besaw from Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and a trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum are also planned. A schedule of all Quest events is available online.
The show welcomes several new artists for 2025, including Tlingit glass sculptor Preston Singletary—whose work was the topic of a recent exhibition at the Eiteljorg—David Jonason, Z.S. Liang and Bonnie Marris.
P.A. Nisbet, Glass Passage, oil on linen, 20 x 21.
Starr Hardridge returns to the show with his exquisitely detailed pointillist-style paintings resembling beadwork inspired by his Muscogee heritage, while Jill Soukup depicts the gentle spirit of the horse in two dimensions. Brad Teare captures the majesty of the Western landscape in supersaturated colors and vivacious brushstrokes; P.A. Nisbet’s naturalistic interpretations of Earth’s colossal formations leave viewers awestruck; and Gayle Weisfield’s works explore the raw power of nature’s elements. John Fawcett deftly portrays the relationship between animal and human on canvas, while Scott Rogers does the same in bronze. Mikel Donahue’s ultra-realistic style reminds viewers of the power of nature to repurpose human constructs, bringing harmony to decay.
Among the other artists exhibiting are Tim Cherry, Robert Griffing, Donna Howell-Sickles, Krystii Melaine, Dean Mitchell, Howard Post, Heide Presse, Stephanie Revennaugh and H. David Wright.
Quest artist Dean Mitchell talks with volunteers and guests, 2024
The Eiteljorg’s Vice President for Curatorial Affairs and Collections Laura Fry is excited to showcase the many layers of culture and history that tell the story of today’s American West. She remarks, “Shows like Quest allow the museum to connect current collectors and today’s art enthusiasts with artists and subject matter that connect to some of the historical work that’s in the museum’s collection. I think in a lot of ways, these shows demonstrate that the American West as this broader subject matter continues to truly be inspiring, as it has been for quite a long time.”
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- Jill Soukup, I’ll Scratch Yours, oil on canvas, 32 x 24.
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- Gayle Weisfield, Living on the Edge, watercolor, 32 x 17.
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- Brad Teare, High Desert Light, oil on canvas, 48 x 48.
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- Starr Hardridge, Shadow of Indian Territory, acrylic, 20 x 16.
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- Mikel Donahue, Move in Ready, acrylic, 20 x 12.25
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- Scott Rogers, Wildfire, bronze, 26 x 18 x 14.
Moving into its next decade, Quest for the West will continue to embody the richly varied artistic points of view that exemplify how Western history and imagery echo throughout American culture. Fry says the ongoing interest in the subject matter “speaks to it having a larger universal resonance. The pop culture associations with the American West that are so pervasive aren’t just limited to one region of the country.”
Quest for the West remains on view September 7 through October 5. Those interested in attending events can register online or by phone. —Elizabeth L. Delaney
contact information
(317) 275-1341
quest.eiteljorg.org
This story appeared in the August/September 2025 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Subscribe today to read every issue in its entirety.