Dutch and still life traditions reign supreme at Wally Workman in Texas this month, with an enticing group exhibition of works by the acclaimed Sarah Ferguson and James Andrew Smith.
 
It’s impossible to ignore an exhibition in which the names James Andrew Smith and Sarah Ferguson are included. Indeed, this is case through July 2 at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, Texas. The works of the two artists will present the viewer with differing styles and approaches to the canvas, Ferguson preferring artistic experimentation with color gradation and geometric shapes while Smith’s pictures are firmly rooted in Dutch still life traditions.
 

Sarah Ferguson, “Pique PY+PGL+TW+PB,” 2016, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 in. (c) Wally Workman Gallery 2016

 
The gallery suggests, “Although their subject matter is quite different, the precise execution of their craft is quite similar. Viewing their works side by side brings a heightened appreciation to the relationship between the eye and the hand and the craft that they can defyingly produce.”
 
To learn more, visit Wally Workman Gallery.
 
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An outstanding selection of beautiful domestic interiors by Aaron Morgan Brown graces the walls of this esteemed gallery through June 30. Don’t miss out!
 
The latest display of outstanding contemporary realism from painter Aaron Morgan Brown is currently on view at the lovely Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, through June 30.
 
The gallery reports, “Like his previous work, these recent paintings offer a transcription of the intersection of his subconscious mind and the everyday world, although their content is relatively distilled. They also display a renewed enthusiasm for the materiality of paint, although this has always been an abiding interest. The evolution of an artist is often elliptical, a series of uneven orbits around an innate sensibility, complete with seasonal changes.”
 
To learn more, visit Gerald Peters Gallery.
 
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Gary Akers and Marieluise Hutchinson are, during this magnetic group exhibition in Massachusetts. Details here!
 
Tree’s Place — one of America’s finest contemporary galleries — is proud to play host to a joint exhibition of two of its staple artists: Gary Akers and Marieluise Hutchinson. Titled “The American Dream,” the exhibition will showcase each artist’s unique style with “compositions that reflect their patriotism and love of America,” the gallery suggests.
 

Marieluise Hutchinson, “Sailing by, Sandy Neck,” oil, (c) Marieluise Hutchinson 2016

 
“The American Dream” opens on June 18 and will be on view through July 1 at Tree’s Place Gallery in Orleans, Massachusetts. To learn more, visit Tree’s Place Gallery.
 
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In searching for meaning, joy, and purpose in life, many find art, including artist Brad Overton. His mysterious yet compelling portraits are the subjects of a solo exhibition in Santa Fe.
 
In many ways, the works and creative process of Brad Overton truly embody artistry because of his openness to multiple sources of inspiration. Indeed, this just might be a common feature of all artists — individuals who continually find, and look, for their next masterpiece in all things.
 
“My paintings are realistic,” Overton writes. “The ideas I think of show up that way so that’s how I paint. All of my dreams are in realism. The whole world, in fact, looks pretty realistic to me. So I’m interested in that. I’m interested in the choices I can make, the inventory or ‘visual vocabulary’ I can build which is unique to me, but accessible to those I come into contact with through my paintings. At times I choose subjects or arrangements because they are funny, which is essential and miraculous. Other paintings are meant to host the sublime, which is the undercurrent of our world; its origin and mystery. Other paintings are meant to remind the viewer of an aspect or attribute to lay claim to. But the common thread is that they are meant to serve the viewer. I paint paintings that I want to see, that I can’t wait to paint. I simply trust my own interest and taste expecting others to come along.”
 
“Embodying Myth through Imagination: New Portraits and Figures by Brad Overton” opens on June 18. To learn more, visit Blue Rain Gallery.
 
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Since the early 1960s, artist John Baeder has led an incredibly productive life as a fine artist, producing a wealth of painting, sculpture, watercolor, photography, and more. Haynes Galleries offers you the chance to revisit Baeder’s journey through small-town America.
 
Can you remember when gasoline cost 25 cents per gallon? Or when John F. Kennedy was elected president? It was during the “Swinging Sixties” that artist John Baeder began what would become a storied career — known for his paintings that captured a much simpler time in small-town America, whether that be classic aircraft, classic cars, or the roadside diners for which he is best known.
 
Opening June 30 at Haynes Galleries in Thomaston, Maine, “John Baeder: Work from 1962 to 2015” is a tantalizing retrospective that showcases the full breadth of Baeder’s artistic accomplishments. The Gallery writes, “‘John Baeder: Work from 1962 to 2015’ will include works from every point in Baeder’s career and thus present works in a variety of genres and media. His black-and-white photographs, originally taken in the 1960s before Baeder committed himself full time to painting, have only recently become available for display. Traveling through small-town America, Baeder photographed the rural poverty that still mired the South. He took his camera with him to Europe to explore not the grandiose architecture of the Old World but the mundane moments and lives of its ordinary people. These images are much more interested in the implied human relationships than in documenting the reality of the place. 
 

John Baeder, “Charlies Diner,” oil, (c) Haynes Galleries 2016

 
“Any exhibition on John Baeder and his career would be incomplete without his diner paintings. Made in watercolor and oil over the course of his career, the diner paintings are Baeder’s most known and acclaimed works. As Jay Williams elegantly explains in the new book, Baeder ‘was able to subtly convey that each diner or mom-and-pop eatery was at the heart, or was the hearth, of its community—a skill far more important than simply recording the transitory details of roadside subjects.’”
 
To learn more, visit Haynes Galleries.
 
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Art lovers will have a rare opportunity to see — and acquire — artworks from 50 top-tier painters and sculptors of Western art. Find out where you need to be on June 24 & 25.
 
Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, Evergreen Fine Art Gallery has established itself as one of the nation’s top spaces for celebrated Western art. This perception will undoubtedly be bolstered on June 24 and 25 when the Gallery hosts its 6th Annual Weekend in the West Art Show and Auction, which will showcase works from 50 top painters and sculptors.
 

Don Stinson, “The Spud Redux,” oil, 30 x 73 in. (c) David B Smith Gallery 2016

 
Many of the works available for exhibition and purchase will be created over the weekend in Evergreen, Colorado. The gallery reports, “The bright galaxy of participating artists includes such recognized luminaries as Quang Ho, Edward Aldrich, G. Russell Case, Karen Roehl, Jeff Legg, David Santillanes, Pem Dunn, Jill Soukup, Ron Hicks, Walt Gonske, Robert Spooner, Don Stinson and Kim English. Masters in three dimensions will include Evergreen sculptor Pati Stajcar and bronze artists Jan Mapes, Stephen LeBlanc, and Sandy Graves.”
 

Quang Ho, “Every Which Way,” oil, 48 x 70 in. (c) Evergreen Fine Art 2016

David Santillanes, “Last Dollar Road,” oil, 30 x 40 in. (c) Evergreen Fine Art 2016

 
The weekend kicks off with a Western-style Gala reception at 5 p.m. on the 24th. On Saturday, patrons will have the opportunity to see outstanding works of art created in about 90 minutes. Continuing, the gallery writes, “Folks wishing to take advantage of everything Weekend in the West has to offer should consider purchasing a Patron ticket package that includes the champagne brunch and auction, plus a picture-perfect gallery dinner with the artists on the evening of Thursday, June 23. Even better, the entire cost of a Patron ticket can be applied to any artwork purchased during Friday’s opening reception.”
 
To learn more, visit Weekend in the West.
 
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Did you know that the oldest commercial building in Southern California is about to celebrate its 200th anniversary? What better way to celebrate than to capture this monumental moment in brush and paint?
 
The California Art Club — one of the nation’s oldest and most acclaimed artist organizations — recently announced a paint-/sculpt-out scheduled for Saturday, June 18. The event is planned in conjunction with a celebration of the Old Mill, Southern California’s oldest commercial building. Also on view through September 11 is an outstanding exhibition at the California Art Club Gallery at the Old Mill.
 
During the 200th-anniversary celebration, the CAC has worked with the Old Mill Foundation to present a series of themed exhibitions that rotate and change throughout the year.
 
To learn more, visit the California Art Club.
 
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For the past 10 years, the New York Academy of Art has celebrated the hot summer months with a series of outstanding exhibitions that should — among other things — heat up the collector’s checkbook. What’s on the slate for 2016?
 
The New York Academy of Art will make a splash this summer at the Southampton Arts Center. Opening June 23 and running through July 31, the Academy will mount a highly anticipated exhibition titled “Water|Bodies.”
 
The group show will present new paintings, drawings, and sculptures from Academy artists alongside works by artists with longstanding ties to New York’s East End. Among the artists included are Ross Bleckner, Patrick Demarchelier, Eric Fischl, Ralph Gibson, April Gornik, Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Michael Halsband, Enoc Perez, and David Salle.
 
As the exhibition title alludes, bodies of water and bodies in water will be the theme. The subject presents artists with near infinite ways to explore both figurative compositions and the luminous effects of water.
 
To learn more, visit the Southampton Arts Center.
 
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The 2016 edition of the Prix de West just concluded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with several of the nation’s most celebrated artists continuing to bolster résumés — and legacies.
 
Among the notable events at this year’s Prix de West were numerous workshops, trunk shows, seminars, artist demonstrations, volunteer opportunities, and private tours. In addition, of course, honors and awards were given to the most deserving artists, with this year’s winner being a familiar figure.
 

Susan Lyon, “Juanita with Red Ribbons,” oil, (c) Prix de West 2016

T. Allen Lawson, “Buff Canyon Cinema,” oil, (c) Prix de West 2016

 
The monumental David Leffel was honored with the Prix de West Purchase Award for his powerful portrait titled “Jonathan Warm Day Coming.” Accomplished painter Susan Lyon was honored with the Donald Teague Memorial Award for her fiery painting “Juanita with Red Ribbons.” T. Allen Lawson’s “Buff Canyon Cinema” was awarded the Robert Lougheed Memorial Award for best landscape.
 

Doug Hyde, “Traditional or Contemporary Design?” (c) Prix de West 2016

Bill Anton, “Deep in the Wind Rivers,” oil, (c) Prix de West 2016

 
The James Earle Fraser Sculpture Award was taken home by Doug Hyde for his “Traditional or Contemporary Design?” Bill Anton and Jeremy Lipking ended up tying for the Frederic Remington Painting Award. Greg Beecham’s magnetic “Another Balmy Day on Captain Hudson’s Bay” was honored with the Major General and Mrs. Don D. Pittman Wildlife Award while Bill Nebeker’s sculpture “Cold Mornin’ Cow Camp” took home the Express Ranch Great American Cowboy Award.
 

Jeremy Lipking, “Between the Past and Present,” oil, (c) Prix de West 2016

Greg Beecham, “Another Balmy Day on Captain Hudson’s Bay,” oil, (c) Prix de West 2016

 
Finally, but certainly not least, Terri Kelly Moyers was honored with the Prix de West Buyer’s Choice Award for her lovely figurative painting “Las Flores.” Total opening sales for this year’s auction realized a whopping $2,671,032 from about 47 percent of the available works.
 

Bill Nebeker, “Cold Mornin’ Cow Camp,” bronze, (c) Prix de West 2016

Terri Kelly Moyers, “Las Flores,” oil, (c) Prix de West 2016

 
The Prix de West included many more events, opportunities, shows, sales, workshops, and lectures than can be listed here. To view the full schedule and plan your trip for 2017, visit The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

Begun in 1987 when a cohort of friendly painters met in Taos, New Mexico, the Oklahoma Society of Impressionists (OSI) is just one of many organizations at the forefront of the contemporary realism and plein air movements. Their upcoming show is just the latest display of talent and beauty.

The Oklahoma Society of Impressionists (OSI) will mount a hypnotic group exhibition on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. “Vision of Impressionism,” opening June 20 and on view through August 6, highlights the recent works of artists on its esteemed roster, including — among others — Bruce Peil.
 
The exhibition is curated by James W. Bruce, Jr. and Linda Howell, and an opening reception will take place Thursday, June 30 at 5 p.m. To learn more, visit the OSU Museum of Art.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.