Pat Anker, center, and other guests enjoyed the 2018 Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale. At left, programming intern Madison Hincks answered guests’ questions.
The Quest for the West attracts Western art enthusiasts — artists, buyers, and media — from all over the country. What Quest has meant to the Eiteljorg can’t be overstated. In addition to the national recognition and reputation the show garners for the museum, Quest has generated more than $13 million in art sales since its inaugural year, 2006.
Karin Hollebeke, “Season of the Trapper,” 2019, oil on linen, 16 x 20 in.
Pre-registered opening weekend attendees will be the first to see and bid on paintings and sculptures by prominent Western artists in a “luck of the draw” sale. This year’s show features four artists who are making their first appearance at Quest or returning for the first time in a few years: Tony Abeyta, Deborah Copenhaver Fellows, Dave Santillanes, and Mian Situ. At the 2018 show, painter Mark Kelso, in his first year at Quest, was the only artist from Indiana; and he won the Artists’ Choice Award.
David Wright, 2018 Quest for the West® Artist of Distinction
The Eiteljorg Museum will open a special exhibit featuring the art of H. David Wright in conjunction with the 2019 Quest for the West®. Wright won the Artist of Distinction Award at the 2018 Quest, and the exhibit celebrates his remarkable career in Western art. Wright’s artwork has spanned many genres, but he is most known for his depictions of early American frontiers. The exhibit will focus on approximately 20 of these works from the last several decades of his career. The show runs through November 17 in the Gerald and Dorit Paul Gallery.
Dave Santillanes, “Fading to Gray,” 2019, oil, 22 x 46 in.
Details:
Quest for the West Art Show and Sale
Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana
Through October 6 Eiteljorg.org
Rimrock Gallery (rimrockgallery.com) is a new gallery in Prineville, Oregon, that features 21 established artists from the Western states and beyond. The gallery exhibits original paintings featuring landscapes, wildlife, farm scenes, equestrian and rodeo subjects, and florals. The bronze works feature sports, wildlife, equestrian, water birds, birds of prey, and figurative sculpture from professionally recognized artists. The gallery is managed by owner Pamela Claflin, who has been prominent in the Oregon and Washington arts communities for over 30 years, and Craig Harvey, who recently moved to Prineville after a career in government defense contracting.
“At 30 years old, I was able to pursue a fine art career and studied with a Russian-trained master, Delbert Gish,” Claflin says. “Life’s journey led me from a stay-at-home mom to a working single parent. I established the graphics department for Vancouver, Washington, and after five years, missed my art world terribly. I gave notice, left the city, and moved to Bend, Oregon, close to my childhood area. There I was able to work for a magazine and then manage a gallery for three years. Three years later, I purchased a small gallery in Sisters, Oregon, renamed it Mockingbird, after a song my mother and I sang while cleaning house, and grew it to a fine art level after moving it to Bend.
Jim McVicker, “Flooded Fields,” oil, 20 x 30 in.
“I ran the gallery and painted from 1989 to 2007. Upon selling it, I thought I wanted to paint full-time. Twelve years later, I find myself living in Prineville, my childhood home, and wanting to have ‘more reason for being’ in my life. In April of this year, I looked at a building for lease in downtown Prineville, and the minute I walked in, I knew it would make a fine gallery space. Prineville had no gallery, all the more reason to establish a fine level gallery, 40 minutes from Bend, in a town full of really nice folks. We opened with a celebration on August 3 and have had wonderful visitation since.
Stefan Savides, “Air Force One,” bronze, 65 x 52 x 33 in.
“The gallery features artists such as Robert Moore, Jim McVicker, Stefan Savides, George and Cammie Lundeen, and Rett Ashby — artists from the Northwest and beyond, including Ralph James from North Carolina.
Meagan Blessing, “Wide Open,” oil, 24 x 26 in.
“I am excited to be able to represent and sell artists’ works that I love and to also be able to represent my own work as well. You don’t meet nicer clients than those who come to view the gallery. Trust levels are built as we deliver and take art on approval. The joy of a customer finding the right painting for a space or finding a space for just the right painting is wonderful and rewarding to me. Nothing beats the phone call to the artist when we sell a painting. I know what that does for an artist. Selling art is a necessary ingredient for career artists, but the pleasure of having your work approved to the point of purchase can’t be beat.”
Lot 253
John Frederick Herring Sr. (1795-1865)
At the game dealer's
Signed and dated 1840
Oil on canvas
46.1 x 61.4cm; 18¼ x 24¼in
Provenance: Christie’s, London, 26 April 1985, lot 16; Dickinson, London
Est: £10,000-15,000
Old Master, British and European Paintings on Wednesday, September 4, at 10 a.m., at Woolley and Wallis, Castle Street, Salisbury.
Lot 248 William Callow RWS (1812-1908) The Grand Canal with Santa Maria della Salute, Venice Signed and dated 1897 Oil on canvas 57 x 85.5cm; 22½ x 33½in Provenance: Catalogue of a portion of the remaining works of William Callow, R.W.S., Messrs Christie Manson & Woods, London, 21st March 1910, lot 70 Est: £2,500-3,500
The sale totals 368 lots covering a broad range of artists and subjects. There is a good section of paintings relating to India, the Far East, and travel in general, with topographical works by Robert Havell, William Hodges, and Clifford Henry Mecham. There are a number of works from the collection of Lord Astor of Hever, including depictions of Hever Castle and other Kentish views. Estimates range from £200 to £35,000.
Lot 342 Sir John Lavery RA, RSA, RHA (Irish, 1856-1941) Little Nell signed, inscribed, and dated To Pratt avec Beaucoup de love / John Lavery 85 (lower left) and titled (lower centre) oil on canvas 35.5 x 45.7cm; 14 x 18in Provenance: Given by the artist to the painter William Pratt (1855-1936); by direct family descent to the present owner. Exhibited: Edinburgh and London, Fine Art Society; Belfast, Ulster Museum; and Dublin, National Gallery of Ireland, Sir John Lavery RA, 1856-1941, 1984-5, no. 14. Literature: Kenneth McConkey, Sir John Lavery (Canongate Press, Edinburgh, 1993), p.39. The present work can be compared to Lavery’s Youth and age of the same year, in the collection of Stonyhurst College. Est: £7,000-10,000Lot 266 Addison Thomas Millar (American 1860-1913) An Oriental Shop Signed and marked with the artist’s thumbprint, and dated 07, titled, initialled and marked with thumbprint to verso Oil on canvas 46 x 61.5cm; 18 x 24¼in Est: £3,500-4,500Lot 220 Dominic Serres RA (French 1722-1793) English fleet in calm waters Signed and dated 1788 Oil on panel 33.7 x 49.3cm; 13½ x 19½in Provenance: Crichel House, Dorset Est: £8,000-12,000Lot 338 Luigi Bechi (Italian 1830-1919) Deux Petits Ciociari Signed Oil on canvas 137 x 100.5cm; 54 x 39½in Provenance: Christie’s Amsterdam, Old Masters and 19th Century paintings, 7th May 2013, lot 229; Bonhams and Butterfields San Francisco, European Paintings, 21st October 2008, lot 95 Est: £25,000-35,000Lot 337 Martinus Rørbye (Danish 1803-1848) Two shepherd boys in the Roman Campagna Dated 1835 and inscribed Roma Oil on paper laid on canvas 21.4 x 28.5cm; 8½ x 11¼in Provenance: Martinus Rørbye estate sale, Copenhagen, 1849, lot 41; C. von Bornemann, 1905; Hans Tobiesen (1881-1953); his posthumous sale, Winkel et Magnussen, auction 388, 1954, no. 99. Literature: Martinus Rørbye 1803-1848, catalogue raisonné (Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen, 1981), no. 97. The painting is a preparatory work for a version in the Scottish National Gallery (NG 2707). At the time of Rørbye’s estate sale the faces were unfinished, and these were later completed by Wilhelm Marstrand (1810-1873). Est: £8,000-12,000Lot 157 Nicholaes Maes (Dutch 1634-1693) Portrait of a lady, traditionally identified as the artist’s mother Signed, dated 1664, and inscribed AET 69. Oil on panel 74 x 59cm; 29¼ x 23¼in Est: £4,000-6,000
Claire Sayers (b. 1967), “Meet Me Where the Wild Things Grow,” 2018, mixed media and oil on canvas, 59 x 59 in.
Contemporary Australian painter Claire Sayers creates textured, tapestry-like, large-scale paintings. In her “Homage to Monet” exhibition at East West Fine Art (Naples, FL), Claire sees her native landscape through the eyes of Claude Monet.
Claire Sayers, “Reflections 4,” 2017, mixed media and oil on canvas, 59 x 59 in.
More from the gallery:
Sayers takes the spirit of Monet to a new dimension — a new part of the world, a new continent, Australia! — where landscape is untamed and unpredictable, where colors are wild and aggressive, where water and sky bond together in solid unity, so nobody knows where one ends and the other starts.
Claire Sayers, “Weeping Willow,” 2018, mixed media and oil on canvas, 67 x 67 in.
Claire Sayers’s paintings are true tapestries. Her proprietary mixed-media on canvas, in her hands, turns into tangible ripples of water, stems of flowers, leaves, weeds, and — beyond gorgeous — buds of water lilies, ready to burst into the flower . . . we can only imagine. Claire Sayers is a remarkably unique and unmistakably Australian! Nevertheless, her large, generous, energetic works fit beautifully into the Florida environment. We welcome Claire to Florida and expect more and more fascinating creations, inspired by Monet and Australia.
Claire Sayers, “An Uplifting Reality,” 2017, mixed media and oil on canvas, 67 x 67 in.
“Homage to Monet – Artwork by Claire Sayers” is on view September 1–15, 2019, at East West Fine Art.
Ben Fenske, “Summer Afternoon,” 2016, oil on linen, 39.3 x 47.2 in.
Grenning Gallery (New York) has recently announced the annual solo show of oil paintings by Ben Fenske.
Bill Fenske, artist
From the gallery:
Ben Fenske (b. 1978) continues to lead his generation of painters, meticulously advancing and adjusting his process to paint the beauty that he sees all around him, whether he is in the East End of Long Island, Chianti, Russia, or elsewhere in Europe. His solo show of recent works will be hung on August 19 and open with a reception on August 24, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Grenning Gallery’s new location at 26 Main Street in Sag Harbor. The exhibition will hang through October 6.
In addition to painting for this show, Fenske is also going to be featured in the invitational group show “Corpo a Corpo” (translated, “Body to Body”) at the Annigoni Museum in Villa Bardini, in Florence, Italy, opening October 25, 2019. With help from the Director of the Intermediate Program at the Florence Academy of Art, Daniela Astone, this exhibition was curated by Carlo Sisi, a former director of the Gallery of Modern Art and the Costume Gallery of the Pitti Palace in Florence, and now a member of the Scientific Committee of the Centro Pecci per l’Arte Contemporanea in Prato, and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rovereto, Trento. This show is the figurative show to mirror the now famous BP Portrait Award show that is held every two years and exhibited at the National Portrait Museum in London, and Fenske will be showing his delightful multi-figure composition “Summer Afternoon.” “Corpo a Corpo” is sponsored by Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze Bank, and will be on view at Villa Bardini from October 25, 2019, through January 12, 2020.
Ben Fenske, “Evening Cloud,” 2019, oil, 35.43 x 49.21 in.
Fenske’s latest work bares the interiors, people, and lush landscape surrounding his home and life in Chianti, Italy. In “Evening Cloud” we see rolling hills illuminated and shadowed by the natural light of a clouded sky. The foreground depicts green plowed land encompassed in shadow from a large cloud directly above, unseen to the viewer. Beyond, the earth is enfolded in bright natural light. In “Bedroom,” a woman lies nude on the bed, sleeping. Two large windows are wide open, revealing the verdant landscape outdoors, and admitting layers of light. The elements of the room soak up the sunlight. A wardrobe door, swung open, is backlit and stands in shadow. The chair beneath the window is covered in sunlight and casts a shapely shadow to its left. Colors vibrate and bounce, from sunlit to shade, throughout Fenske’s work.
Fenske has had a solo show with the Grenning Gallery every summer, since 2007. Each summer before the show opens, the artist comes to the East End to paint locally, and each year, Fenske is attracted to something new. The many beaches, farms, fields, and villages can be found depicted in his oeuvre. Last summer (2018), Fenske was inspired to paint Cedar Point, in East Hampton. Big, bold clouds scattered above a bright, glistening shoreline. Short but thick, urgent brushstrokes connote the natural energy of the environment that day. Strong winds blow the water and the tall grasses in the lower right foreground. Fenske had to walk about a mile off the trail to get to this quiet destination, clearly compelled to capture the remote parts of bustling East Hampton.
Ben Fenske, “Moonlit Bonfire,” work in progress/sketch, 2019, oil on canvas
This summer, Fenske has been drawn to happenings that integrate social scenarios. The Sag Harbor Carnival happens every year at Havens Beach, but 2019 is the first year Fenske has felt drawn to paint it. “Harbor Carnival” places the viewer at the entrance of the fair; the eye goes directly to the color-illumined Ferris wheel against the night sky. Ticket booths and novelty games fill up the outer edges, as crowds of people flock to and fro. Another new painting, “Moonlit Bonfire Sketch” was painted en plein air at Peter’s Pond in Sagaponack. A blossoming Sturgeon Moon illuminates the vast and immeasurable night sky. Fenske uses his bright blues, greens, highlights of yellow, and vigorous brushstrokes to sensibly capture his impression of this natural brilliance. Figures conjure around a bonfire on the black, backlit sand in the foreground.
Robert C. Jackson, “Bob’s Burger Arch,” oil on linen, 40 x 30 in.
“Sometimes I wish I could stop thinking about painting and creating; it’s constant . . . On the other hand, I suppose I’m darn fortunate I love what I do.”
Robert C. Jackson (b. 1964, Kinston, NC) worked as an electrical engineer and then as an assistant pastor before settling down to his full-time and fulfilling career as a contemporary still life artist.
Robert’s artwork can now be found exhibiting in galleries and museums coast to coast.
Learn more about the still life artist in this video (via Clarke Green):
Robert C. Jackson, “Masterclass,” oil on linen, 40 x 30 in.Robert C. Jackson, “Fine Dining,” oil on linen, 24 x 54 in.
Current and Upcoming Solo Shows:
Evansville Museum (Indiana), “Still Life Rebel,” on view through November 3, Artist in Residence
Nancy Mitton, “Beyond the Flats,” oil on canvas, 30 x 64 in.
Nancy Mitton and Robert Seyffert have been painting colleagues for more than 20 years. They share an enthusiasm for expressive oil painting and sound technique.
Nancy Mitton, “On the Beach,” oil on canvas, 30 x 64 in.Nancy Mitton, “Light Over Long Island,” oil on canvas, 30 x 64 in.
Mitton’s work in this exhibit now at the Marion Art Center (MA) shows large expansive views of the ocean painted near her studio in Massachusetts. They evoke the bigness of the American landscape.
Robert Seyffert, “Model on East 10th Street,” oil on canvas, 25 x 30 in.Robert Seyffert, “American Storefront,” oil on canvas, 25 x 30 in.Robert Seyffert, “Convertible, West Village NYC circa 1995,” oil on canvas, 25 x 30 in.
Robert Seyffert’s cityscapes were done in New York City in the 1990s, and his subject of older cars evokes another era. Both artists have won first prize in the artist member’s exhibits at the National Arts Club in New York.
This exhibition is on view at the Marion Art Center through September 28, 2019.
Plus: Robert Seyffert Artists Talk, Saturday, September 28, 11:00 a.m.
The Marion Art Center, a not-for-profit organization, has been serving the community since 1957. Its mission is to promote the visual and performing arts. The Marion Art Center comprises two galleries, a small theater, and a studio.
Joseph Orr, “Summer Lilies,” 20 x 24 in. Courtesy of Castle Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN
Paintings by nationally known artist Joseph Orr from Osage Beach, Missouri, as well as Victory Wang, Pam Newell, Jeffrey T. Larson, and more will be included in “A Survey of Excellence,” an invitational exhibit of paintings by artists from middle America.
Joseph Orr in his Osage Beach studio with his painting, “Summer Cabin,” which will be included in the exhibit. Orr paints from his studio and the Missouri countryside. He is represented by Kodner Gallery (St. Louis)
The Heartland Art Club exists to promote and encourage the creation of quality representational fine art through education, exhibits, and engagement. Established by a group of artists and supporters in St. Louis, Missouri, and now over 100 members strong, Heartland Art Club, a 501(c)3 organization, seeks to elevate representational art, its disciplines, and its history.
Heartland’s inaugural exhibit, “A Survey of Excellence,” includes works by 25 artists and opens August 23, 2019, 6 to 9 p.m., at the club’s office and exhibit space, the former OA Gallery (Kirkwood, MO).
Bryan Haynes, “The Great Mayer Oak,” acrylic on canvas, 50 x 40 in.Billyo O’Donnell, “White Farm House and Round Bale, Missouri River Valley,” oil, 18 x 24 in.Brenda Morgan, “Western Beauty,” oil on canvas, 16 x 12 in.Chris Krupinski, “Apples, Stripes, and Jar,” transparent watercolor, 30 x 22 in.Ali Cavanaugh, “Rise and Fall,” watercolor on clay panel, 30 x 30 in.Victor Wang, “Reaching the Past,” oil on canvas, 48 x 63 in.Jeffrey T. Larson, “Milk Jar and Turnips,” oil on Belgian linen, 20 x 24 in.Evan Church, “Diani Fisherman,” oil on canvas, 28 x 24 in.Miguel Malagon, “Orange Line,” oil on linen, 18 x 24 in.Pam Newell, “Arbor Rose,” oil on linen panel, 9 x 12 in.
The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular gallery hours through September. The artists participating in the event were invited by a panel of the club’s board members. The participants were selected for displaying consistent excellence in creating quality representational art. Participating artists live or have spent a significant portion of their lives in the middle of the US. In addition to Joseph Orr, other prominent artists showing work are Heartland board members Bryan Haynes and John Whytock, Scott Christensen and Ali Cavanaugh.
Additional Paintings by Joseph Orr:
Joseph Orr, “The Green Barn,” 20 x 24 in. Courtesy of Kodner Gallery, St. Louis, MOJoseph Orr, “Summer Cabin,” 16 x 12 in.Joseph Orr, “Red Truck Diaries,” 20 x 24 in. Courtesy of Highlands Art Gallery, Lambertville, NJJoseph Orr, “Holiday Cove,” 40 x 40 in. Courtesy of Kodner Gallery, St. Louis, MOJoseph Orr, “Heart of the Heartland,” 24 x 30 in.
When you and I talk about art, the eyes of non-art lovers glaze over. If we try to slip into a museum with friends, they resist and would rather go shopping.
Let’s face it, not everyone has a love affair with art.
If you’re the kind of person who eats and sleeps art, who is continually looking at art books and studying paintings, and who is more obsessed about it than most of your friends, then this brief note might be for you.
My Mistress
My name is Eric Rhoads. I’m the publisher of Fine Art Connoisseur and PleinAir magazines, and I too am obsessed with art. My wife would tell you that art is my mistress. Like you, I spend all my spare time reading about art and studying paintings.
Sharing Our Professional Experiences
People used to marvel when I would share stories about the doors that would open up as a result of my involvement with the magazine. Because of this, 10 years ago our editor, Peter Trippi, and I decided it would be nice to share these kinds of experiences with a small, select group of people.
Exceeding Major Museums
We invented an art experience that is simply like no other. Frankly, I’ve been told that even the art experiences put on by major museums don’t match the experiences we’ve created. Our goal is to give the same kind of access we receive — a trip for people who absolutely love art, who don’t mind looking at art most of the day for a week or more and still can’t get enough.
caption: You’ll see actual places Van Gogh and others painted on our special VIP behind-the-scenes art trip this October.
We strive to give you access to the greatest art experiences, take you behind the scenes at museums, and bring art historians or curators to you, so you receive a full understanding of what you see.
Deep Exclusivity
If you’re the kind of person who craves premium experiences in the finest hotels and the best restaurants, and access to experts and experiences few others in the world will ever have access to, this is an experience you will treasure.
Deeper Friendships
And if you love to make friends who have art in common, who share your passion and your level of exclusivity, you’ll make lifelong friendships from this trip. We’ve become a family, and, though most return when they can, when someone new joins in, they are instantly embraced.
Private Access
In the past nine years we’ve given a very small number of people the experience of a lifetime. Most come back year after year, and if they don’t, it’s usually because of a wedding or other family commitments. We’ve had amazing experiences, including access to art that was only available for viewing by the elite class, hidden away in museums; access to the studios and homes of deceased artists that were not open to the public, only possible because of our relationships; unheard of private access to avoid crowds at places like the Sistine Chapel, the Hermitage Museum in Russia, and the private access-only areas of the Van Gogh Museum; a private viewing of The Last Supper; and dozens more.
Very Rare Opportunity
What I’m about to tell you is a very rare opportunity. This trip is available to only about 48 people because we have to keep this group under 50 to allow access into some of the small collections and experiences we plan to visit. Forty-two of the seats are already booked, so only six remain. Because this is our 10th-anniversary trip, where we are “pulling out all the stops,” some people are trying to rearrange schedules to be a part of this experience, so I suspect these remaining seats could be gone before summer is over, or sooner.
Been There, Done That … Not
In the past some of our guests almost did not come because they had already visited some of the areas we were visiting and seen the museums. Yet every year we hear our guests tell us the trip was a totally different and unique experience, and one they could never have done on their own or even with paid guides. In fact, one guide who had been working in an area for 30 years was surprised to learn of a place we visited in her town that she had never been aware existed. This is all because of the power of deep connections and friendships that allow us to open doors. So if you’ve been to Provence and the South of France, don’t let that stop you from returning. This will be entirely different.
Something to Look Forward to This Fall
On October 11, our group will meet up in the South of France and we will tour the treasures of this beautiful area, which is rich with amazing art experiences. Of course the area was frequented by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Chagall, and Gauguin, so if you love the Impressionists, this is an amazing trip. But the area offers a huge variety of other art treasures and experiences that we will visit. And even if you’ve seen these beautiful areas before, this experience promises to be different from what you’ve experienced before, and fall is an amazing time, when tourism is slim and colors are brilliant.
Whether you’ve traveled with this small group before or this is your first big adventure with us, you’re in for a spectacular time.
Watch this video:
Above: Publisher Eric Rhoads and Editor Peter Trippi have a casual porch talk about the upcoming Fine Art Trip.
With October just around the corner, we’ll need you to reserve your seats now so that airfare can be secured. We highly recommend you do it this week.
We’re looking forward to seeing you in France this October.
PS: Because this is our 10th year and because of such high interest in the art of the South of France, and because of the beauty in the fall, this will be one of our most spectacular trips yet. But we can only take 48 people, and there are 6 seats left. Whether you’re a couple or a single or you want to bring some friends, prepare for some incredible art experiences and lifetime memories. And give yourself a break, get away from the stress and business of life … you deserve it.
The Bowdoin College Museum of Art is marking the 125th anniversary of its Walker Art Building with “Art Purposes: Object Lessons for the Liberal Arts.” This exhibition draws its title from an inscription in the rotunda (“to be used solely for art purposes”) and seeks to explore the implications of these words.
Alfredo Jaar, “Angel,” 2007, c-print.Heather Dewey-Hagborg (b. 1982), “Stranger Visions: Sample 7 NYC (Reconstruction of a Face Based on Found DNA),” 2012–13, polymer, 12 x 7 x 4 in., courtesy Fridman Gallery
On view are approximately 150 works of modern and contemporary art — a mix of longtime favorites from the permanent collection and new acquisitions and promised gifts. (The museum has acquired nearly 10,000 objects since its expansion in 2007 and now holds approximately 25,000.) The show is accompanied by a new collections catalogue, the museum’s first in nearly 40 years, authored by more than 70 contributors.
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“At 30 years old, I was able to pursue a fine art career and studied with a Russian-trained master, Delbert Gish,” Claflin says. “Life’s journey led me from a stay-at-home mom to a working single parent. I established the graphics department for Vancouver, Washington, and after five years, missed my art world terribly. I gave notice, left the city, and moved to Bend, Oregon, close to my childhood area. There I was able to work for a magazine and then manage a gallery for three years. Three years later, I purchased a small gallery in Sisters, Oregon, renamed it Mockingbird, after a song my mother and I sang while cleaning house, and grew it to a fine art level after moving it to Bend.
