Auction Preview | The Russell - Southwest Art Magazine

Great Falls, MT
Various locations, March 21-23

Randy Van Beek, Teton Shoshone Camp, oil, 23 x 29.

This story was featured in the February 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art February 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

GREAT FALLS, MT, plays host to hundreds of western artists and collectors this month during the festive tradition known as Western Art Week. Come the third week of March, the city hosts more than 17 art shows at venues around town. The marquee event of the week is The Russell Exhibition and Sale, presented by the C.M. Russell Museum. This three-day series of events culminates on Saturday, March 23, in a major auction of works by contemporary western artists and historic masters, including Great Falls’ celebrated cowboy artist Charles Marion Russell.

: Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey, When Bison Speaks, dye/silk, 20 x 20.

: Troy Collins, Montana on My Mind, oil, 40 x 30.

: Todd Connor, Keepers of the Upper Missouri, oil, 24 x 48.

“There’s a lot of fellowship that comes with our events, and people really appreciate the relationships they build by coming to Great Falls and not just phoning in a bid,” says Duane Braaten, the museum’s director of art and philanthropy. Collectors have one of their first opportunities to connect during a preview party on Thursday, March 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. “The party is a wonderful homecoming for those who return to Great Falls each year,” says Braaten. “I’d venture that at least 75 percent of the artists are in town for our events,” he adds. “It’s a nice way to add works to your collection when you have a story about shaking the artists’ hands and talking to them about their creative process.”

: Charles M. Russell, Approach of White Men, 1897, oil, 24 x 34. Estimate: $1,250,000-$1,750,000.

: Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey, Field Marshall, dye/silk, 34 x 28.

: Troy Collins, Dreaming in Color, oil, 30 x 48.

Collectors can chat, for example, with 23 members of the elite Russell Skull Society of Artists, including Todd Connor, Luke Frazier, R. Tom Gilleon, and Randy Van Beek, as well as new members Troy Collins, Jennifer Johnson, Don Oelze, and John R. Phelps. For three days beginning on Thursday at 10 a.m., the group sets up individual suites at the Mansfield Convention Center where they each showcase as many as 30 all-new works. The society members—considered by the museum to be artists whose works carry on the legacy of C.M. Russell—are also “under the spotlight” in the Saturday-night auction, says Braaten.

: Todd Connor, Guardians of the Badlands, oil, 30 x 40.

: Luke Frazier, Forest Sentinel, oil, 36 x 48.

: R. Tom Gilleon, Winter Lodge, oil, 36 x 36.

Friday morning’s Art-in-Action Quick Finish brings yet another opportunity for collectors to mingle with the artists at the Meadow Lark Country Club, where 26 artists put the finishing touches on in-progress works before the pieces go up for bid in a live auction. That evening another crowd favorite gets underway with the First Strike auction at the convention center. There, collectors vie for 80 new artworks by established contemporary artists like Harry Koyama, Blake Neubert, H. Steven Oiestad, Michele Usibelli, and new participant Colin Alexander.

: Charles M. Russell, Indian With Bow, c. 1900, oil, 19 x 12. Estimate: $600,000-$800,000.

: Charles M. Russell, On the Warpath, c. 1892, watercolor, 16 x 11. Estimate: $50,000-$75,000.

: Charles M. Russell, Says He’s an Elk, 1917, pen and ink, 6 x 10. Estimate: $30,000-$50,000.

The Russell’s live auction on Saturday night is a must-attend event for western art connoisseurs. The sale, which kicks off at 5 p.m. at the convention center, features nearly 200 paintings and sculptures by acclaimed living artists and significant historic artists. In addition to the Russell Skull Society members, many other contemporary artists contribute their latest pieces, including Michael Blessing, Mark McKenna, and Jeremy Winborg. In the historic category, works in several mediums by C.M. Russell are up for bid, including an 1897 oil painting entitled APPROACH OF WHITE MEN, which is expected to fetch up to $1,750,000. Other notable historic works for sale include a major illustration by Frank Earle Schoonover (1877-1972) and a charcoal drawing created by western artist and writer Will James (1892-1942) for his children’s book Smoky, the Cowhorse, the winner of the 1927 Newbery Medal. “It’s such a fun talking point,” says Braaten. “A lot of the folks in our audience grew up reading Will James, and his books were one of the reasons they fell in love with all things western.” —Kim Agricola

contact information
323.667.2000
www.cmrussell.org