National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, OK
November 6-28
Carol Amos, Exhilaration, oil, 16 x 20.
When the autumn leaves start to fall and the air gets crisp in Oklahoma City, western art collectors know that the Small Works, Great Wonders show at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is just around the corner. This annual miniatures sale is organized by the same team that curates the museum’s prestigious Prix de West Invitational and, in fact, several artists are regular exhibitors in both shows. “Small Works offers collectors an opportunity to purchase a smaller, more affordable piece from some of the stars of Prix de West while discovering some new artists exhibiting for the first time,” says Susan Patterson, the museum’s curator of special events, who has directed both shows for more than a decade.
This year’s 16th annual event includes more than 200 works from 122 top contemporary western artists, including Greg Beecham—winner of this year’s Prix de West Purchase Award—as well as Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, Donna Howell-Sickles, David Griffin, Teresa Elliott, Huihan Liu, Laura Robb, and Joshua Tobey. Several of the artists exhibiting for the first time were selected through a jurying process, while a selection of former participants were invited back from past years.
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- Mark Kohler, Determination, oil, 12 x 9.
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- Julie T. Chapman, Nature Prayer No. 4, mixed media, 20 x 16.
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- George Hallmark, The Gate Keeper, oil, 16 x 12.
Artwork is available for preview both online and at the museum starting on November 6, and the ticketed sale and reception takes place on Friday, November 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. Artwork is sold through a fixed-price drawing (proxy services are available), and buyers take their purchases home with them that night. Remaining works are available through November 28.
Attendees can expect to see the same high-quality works they see at Prix de West, just on a smaller scale—no larger than 20 inches in any dimension. In addition to traditional media such as oil, watercolor, pastel, and bronze, there are also mixed-media works and prints available. With such a wide variety of collectible gems offering a range of design and display possibilities all in one place, buyers are hard-pressed to pick just one for themselves or for the art lovers on their holiday gift lists.
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- Don Weller, Parking Lot at Delle, watercolor, 12 x 12.
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- Ann Hanson, La La Lollipop, oil, 12 x 9.
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- Marlin Rotach, Castle Valley Joyride, watercolor, 16 x 19.
While many of the guests have been attending Small Works, Great Wonders for years, others are coming for the first time this fall. For them, Patterson has nothing but encouragement. “The whole purpose of Small Works is to help a new group of collectors who are just starting their art collection, while giving seasoned collectors fresh miniatures from artists they already collect,” she says. “Art is a wonderful reason to gather, and the night of the sale is always such a fun, festive atmosphere. Attendees will have the chance to mix and mingle with the many exhibiting artists in attendance, meeting not only local artists but also top talent from around the country.” –Allison Malafronte
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- Joshua Tobey, Watch Dog, bronze, 12 x 5 x 5 (left), and Country Boy, bronze, 7 x 8 x 6 (right).
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- Don Hamilton, Hidden Treasure, oil, 11 x 14.
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- Tony Hochstetler, Days of Summer, bronze, 14 x 23 x 6.
contact information
405.478.2250
www.nationalcowboymuseum.org
This story appeared in the October/November 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.