The opening weekend of the 14th annual “Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West” exhibition and sale (March 29–31) was the most successful opening weekend in the show’s history in terms of attendance and funds raised — 49 of the 56 participating artists and more than 1,500 patrons converged in Wickenburg, Arizona, for three days of conversation and celebration. A live auction at Saturday evening’s Bash ’n’ Bid raised $33,700 for the Museum, and an audience of more than 700 who attended Sunday morning’s Quick Draw enthusiastically supported the morning’s culminating live auction. The 23 pieces created by Cowgirl Up! artists at the event commanded over $51,000.
More from the Desert Caballeros Western Museum:
What makes Cowgirl Up! truly outstanding is the all-women nature of the show. Since 2006, Cowgirl Up! has established itself as a premier opportunity for Western women artists to exhibit their art in a nationally-recognized museum, gather and learn from their peers, and mingle with the patrons who support their endeavors. Since the show’s inception, the Desert Caballeros Western Museum has been privileged to provide a platform for 193 Cowgirl Up! artists to exhibit and sell their art.
Art that went unpurchased during opening weekend is still available through May 12; patrons may purchase online at westernmuseum.org or in person in the Cowgirl Up! gallery. Patrons can take home their miniatures upon purchase; Main Gallery pieces remain on view until the end of the show, when they are shipped to their purchasers.
Eight awards were presented at the Bash ’n’ Bid Gala:
Best of Show: Erin Hanson (San Diego, CA) for “Desert in Color” (oil on canvas)
First Place 2D on Canvas: Sonja Caywood (Dayton, WY) for “Lean on Me” (oil on canvas)
First Place 2D on Paper: Stephanie Campos (Tucson, AZ), for “Chief Joseph” (charcoal on paper)
First Place 3D: Stephanie Revennaugh (Livingston, MT), “Eons” (bronze)
Museum Purchase Award: Rebecca Tobey (Santa Fe, NM), “A Friendly Game of Tag” (ceramic) Director’s Choice New Artist: Sherry Cobb (Delta, CO)
Patrons’ Choice: Sherry Cobb (Delta, CO)
Artists’ Choice: Linda Glover Gooch (Mesa, AZ)
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey will select the prestigious “Governor’s Choice Award” at a future date. This award will be presented to one of the 19 Arizona-based Cowgirl Up! artists.
For a second year, the Desert Caballeros Western Museum is offering visitors the opportunity to vote for a People’s Choice throughout the run of the show. The winner will be announced on the last day of the Cowgirl Up! exhibition and sale, May 12, and will receive a complimentary advertising award from Art of the West magazine.
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