2023 Quest for the West Artist of Distinction winner Krystii Melaine (pictured at the 2023 Quest) will have a special exhibition of her work on display at the Eiteljorg Sept. 7 - Oct. 13, 2024.
Top artists and avid collectors of Western art will once again converge on Indianapolis for the 19th annual Eiteljorg Museum Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale, September 6 and 7, 2024.
Dean Mitchell (b. 1957), “Below the Mountain,” 2024, Acrylic, 21 x 38 inches
More from the organizers:
“As one of the Eiteljorg’s iconic events each year, Quest for the West® has played an integral role in increasing awareness of the Western American art genre within the overall art community,” Eiteljorg President and CEO Kathryn Haigh said. “Quest for the West represents exceptional art, artists and Hoosier hospitality. It also has been vital to raising the Eiteljorg’s profile nationally, building lasting relationships between artists and collectors, as well as growing the Eiteljorg’s collection.”
Brett Allen Johnson (b. 1984), “Desert Transom,” 2024, Oil, 12 x 12 inches
Now in its 19th year, Quest for the West® is well known for its fun, intimate and welcoming atmosphere, allowing artists to reconnect with longtime collectors and meet new ones. Guests engage with the artists in an intimate setting and marvel at the diverse scope of elegant, world-class art. Since its inception in 2006, Quest has generated more than $18.5 million in art sales, with artists receiving nearly $14 million, and net proceeds supporting the Eiteljorg Museum.
Dave Santillanes (b. 1972), “The Cache La Poudre River,” 2024, Oil, 24 x 44 inches
After the sale weekend concludes, the Quest show will open to the public on Sunday, September 8, where all the Quest artworks will be on view through Sunday, Oct. 6. Any unsold art will remain for sale through the run of the exhibition. Collectors and museum guests will enjoy the beautiful, vibrant gallery of lifelike landscapes, stunning still lifes and portraits, sculpted bronzes and other works.
Pati Stajcar (b. 1958), “Aesop’s Fable,” 2023, Bronze on stone, 21 x 25 x 16 inches
For complete information about this event, please visit quest.eiteljorg.org.
How do you find inspiration? John Meister: The term ‘magical realism’ truly describes New Mexico. Living here, I appreciate the aesthetic of life in all its forms and gravitate toward intimate views of nature. Getting up close to the botanical life here, there are endless possibilities for amazing subjects. Life must do a little something extra to thrive here, and it can display great beauty in the process. I strive to capture that.
How did you develop your unique style? John Meister: Recently, I have primarily been working on a new body of work that I call my “Vaudeville” series. These paintings feature a somewhat stylized botanical subject, such as a cactus or flower, in front of a simple, colorful, graphic backdrop. I imagine them as depicting a performer on stage. They are mostly produced in the studio but from many years of experience painting up close to my subjects outside, en plein air. The idea for the first one came as a dreamy flash image as I was waking up one morning. I painted it in two days and haven’t stopped working on the series. Prior to painting full-time, I was a graphic designer for 23 years, and these satisfy my “design itch”.
Jason Tenison, "Seeker of Peace," oil, 30 x 40 in.
The American Plains Artists (APA) 39th Annual Juried Exhibit & Sale opened June 27, 2024, to a large continuous crowd in the Quartermaster Building at Fort Concho National Historic Landmark in San Angelo, TX, where the exhibit continued through August 4. Realistic and representational artworks of the American Great Plains were exhibited by 43 APA members from across the U.S.A.
Awards Juror Teresa Elliott, awarded the following:
BEST OF SHOW: “Seeker of Peace“ (shown at top) by Jason Tenison, Bixby, OK
1st PLACE AWARD: “Stories Rarely Told” by Sherry Blanchard Stuart, Scottsdale, AZ
2nd PLACE AWARD: “American Protection”, by James Loveless, Jr., Fort Worth, TX
3rd PLACE AWARD: “El Trono de los Vaqueros I” by TW “Pop” Vanya, Somerville, TX
Sherry Blanchard Stuart, “Stories Rarely Told,” 24 x 36 in.
Other awards sponsored by the APA included:
CLYDE HERON AWARD: “Seeker of Peace” by Jason Tenison, Bixby, OK
BEST PLAINS PEOPLE: “Good Melon” by David Dorsey, Valentine, NE
MYSTERY AWARD: “Apache Way” by Jammey Huggins, Seminole, TX
TEXAS AWARD: “The Shed’s Flower Bed” by Fritzi Heron, Odessa, TX
ARROWHEAD AWARD (Hosting Facility’s Choice): “Self Portrait” by Lori Jones, Lake City, KS
GOLDEN SPUR AWARD (Artists’ Choice): “Sweltering Summer” by Sandie Whitman, Cheyenne, WY
PLAINSMAN AWARD (People’s Choice): “American Protection” by James Loveless, Jr, Fort Worth, TX
PUBLISHER’S AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE were awarded to:
“The Crack of Dawn” by Eileen Nistler, Upton, WY–Fine Art Connoisseur
“Yep, That’s What I’m Gonna Do Now” by Charlie Bullock, Athens, TX, Art of the West, Andy Krane, CEO/Publisher
“Striking a Pose” by Lloyd Voges, Clifton, TX–Western Art & Architecture, Tim Newton, Publisher
Plus:
ARTIST FOCUS AWARD: “Sharing” by Veronica Brown, Sullivan, MO–Western Art Collector, Aldolfo Castillo and Wendie Martin, CEO and Publishers
ARTISTS’ RETREAT AWARD: “Medicine Woman” by Veronica Brown, Sullivan, MO– given by Our Heritage Guest Ranch, Jean Norman, Owner, Crawford, NE
And seven EXHIBITION AWARDS:
“Wildflowers #24” by Mary Lambeth, Midland, TX
“Where the Buffalo Roamed” by Lou Sanders Albright, Athens, TX
“Stories Rarely Told” by Sherry Blanchard Stuart, Scottsdale, AZ
“He’s Right There” by James Loveless, Jr., Fort Worth, TX
“Stories Kneaded in Dough” by Eileen Nistler, Upton, WY
“Three Amigos” by Cheryl Roush, Midland, TX
“Lost in Contemplation” by Theresa Otteson, Farmington, UT–given by Fort Concho NHL, San Angelo, TX
Awards of Excellence were awarded to:
“Sweltering Summer” by Sandie Whitman, Cheyenne WY
“Ladies on the Lookout” by Patsy Lindamood, Huntsville, TX
“Stories Kneaded in Dough” by Eileen Nistler, Upton, WY
“West Meets Southwest” by Linda Rust, Del Rio, TX
“Sharp Ones” by Jason Tenison, Bixby, OK
“As the Day Goes By” by Carol Ann Welch, Euless, TX
“Eclipsed Windmill” by Lloyd Voges, Clifton, TX
“A Legend Begins” by Burl Washington, Fort Worth, TX
Nicole Parker (b. 1994), "Are We Lost," 2023, oil on linen-wrapped panel, 16 x 20 in., Gross McCleaf Gallery (Philadelphia)
There is a lot of superb contemporary realism being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual.
Viewing Nicole Parker’s paintings and intaglio prints feels like discovering and dusting off a pile of old Polaroids, or looking at vintage stills of moments and memories long gone. Blurry street scenes, a distant object shrouded in misty fog, pitch-black winding roads — these are the subjects Parker uses to transport us to a time and place in her mind’s eye.
“My work functions as a visual memoir, an investigation of how visual memory changes over time and how my perception of the present evolves with it,” the artist shares. “I make pictures of places and things that represent a memory, a state of being, or even a dream that I keep traces of but can’t physically return to.”
Parker earned a B.F.A. in drawing and painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, where she also developed an appreciation for, and aptitude in, the intaglio printmaking process. Today she works from both observation and memory in her Mount Airy, Maryland, studio, allowing such inspirations as music, language, film, and food to influence her creativity as well. In her current body of work, Parker explores the triangular relationship among her sense of self, what “home” means, and the physical spaces and environments she’s occupied throughout her life.
The artist’s fascination with the strangeness of “betweenness” or — as she says — being nowhere and everywhere at once, figures prominently in her recent work. In “Are We Lost,” illustrated above, Parker uses two cars as symbols of this feeling. “Driving is such an interesting activity because when you travel, you’re in a transient state between one place and another,” she notes. “It seems inconsequential because it’s temporary and a means to an end, but I enjoy the trip as its own event. One of my favorite activities is just the act of looking, and nothing requires more looking than driving. There is barely any time to process the individual things I’m seeing on the way, but I remember the light and the color of a trip. ‘Are We Lost’ is not a perfect representation of actual road locations but rather a collection of generic objects and ideas arranged in specific ways to reflect what I remember from the trip itself.”
Parker continues, “Because memory is imperfect, the process of making images based on it can often feel like circling a destination without ever arriving, or like a word on the tip of your tongue. In the studio, I’m helped and inspired by how potent my sensory memories are, and by the way that light, color, and the smell of the air stick in my mind. These concrete sensory experiences are always at the core of my practice.”
As part of our effort to continue to help artists and art galleries thrive, we’re proud to bring you this week’s “Virtual Gallery Walk.” Browse the artwork below and click the image itself to learn more about it, including how to contact the gallery.
Herd Rhythm, Emma Kalff, oil on wood panel, 15 x 24 in., framed; Emma Kalff
High Tide on Jackson Lake, Billy Scenck, oil on canvas, 36 x 42 in; Altamira Fine Art
Want to see your gallery featured in an upcoming Virtual Gallery Walk? Contact us at [email protected] to advertise today. Don’t delay, as spaces are first come, first served, and availability is limited.
Daniel Sprick, "Root Series," oil on board, 22 x 28 in.
Gallery 1261 founders Quang Ho, David Uhl, and Christine Mileham are hosting a major collection of works by the original group of gallery artists, new artists, and some surprise guests.
At a Glance:
Gallery 1261, Denver, Colorado
August 30 – September 17, 2024
Opening reception August 30 gallery1261.com
Participating artists: Daud Akhriev, Carolyn Anderson, Mia Bergeron, Suchitra Bhosle, Daniel Bilmes, Gregory Block, Gordon Brown, Scott Burdick, David Cheifetz, Alexander Chistov, Robin Cole, Scott Conary, Tony Curanaj, Valerio D’Ospina, Michelle Dunaway, Hollis Dunlap, Scott Fraser, Ulrich Gleiter, David Grossmann, Ron Hicks, Quang Ho, Tony Hochstetler, Daniel Keys, Jeff Legg, Susan Lyon, Dan McCaw, Danny McCaw, John McCaw, CW Mundy, Tibor Nagy, Heather Neill, Rodney O’Dell Davis, Mikael Olson, Derek Penix, Megan Elizabeth Read, Dale O Roberts, Kate Sammons, Andrzej Skorut, Jill Soukup, Bill Starke, Adrienne Stein, David Uhl, Anthony Waichulis, Jason Walker, Kevin Weckbach, Fred Wessel, Jordan Wolfson, Michael Workman, Vincent Xeus, Elizabeth Zanzinger.
Anthony Waichulis, “Summer ’62,” oil, 10 x 8 in.
More from the organizers:
Gallery 1261 began as a lofty notion: give artists a space to show the work they made for themselves. “Artists need to experiment and make work for themselves,” Quang Ho says, when asked about the origins of Gallery 1261. “The principal thought was to create a premier gallery where the artists would produce works that were not exclusively motivated by sales. We would allow the art to flow from a deep dive into its source, to break through the usual gallery marketing parameters.”
Scott Fraser, “Sonatina,” oil on board, 15 x 12 in.
David Uhl, Quang’s partner in Gallery 1261, recalls, “Quang and I were having lunch at the Denver Art Museum and started dreaming up the ideal art gallery.” Uhl happened to own a building just three blocks west of the Art Museum, an old machine shop with high arched wooden ceiling, steel trusses and sky lights that he had converted into his private design studio and bachelor pad. But he had moved his studio to the foothills, so the building was not being used. Now all they needed was a gallery manager.
“It was all David’s idea,” Christine Mileham says, reflecting back on the early conversations with Ho and Uhl about running the gallery. She had a successful gallery already, Abend, a family business, but she says she loved the idea. At first, she managed two locations but eventually brought Abend into the same Gallery 1261 space. “I’ve had a great partnership with the guys,” she says about the strengths each person brings to the table. “I think David put together the perfect trio.”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. “Launching the gallery,” Uhl says, “I remember the gallery having a difficult time making enough to pay the rent; good thing I owned the building. It always looked beautiful for sure. In hindsight, it’s difficult prospect to launch a gallery based on artists creating work that’s technically not created to sell. It worked but took two decades!”
The gallery can also boast their ability to bring meld established artists with up-and-coming artists. Robin Cole, who started with 1261 in 2014, recalls, “It’s been a great honor to work with a gallery that represents so many of my heroes. I realize it’s a rare privilege to receive support for your creativity no matter how the spirit moves you—Gallery 1261 stands behind authentic creative endeavor and that is incredibly special.”
For Ron Hicks, who was there at the beginning, loved the comradery. “I was drawn to, and truly connected with Gallery 1261’s original concept of exhibiting works from artist that were experimental or were painted as if no one is looking over your shoulder,” he says. “Imagine… what would you create if left to your own devices, being free, without any external influences?”
And Daniel Sprick adds, “It has been a smooth and easygoing relationship, very productive for me and it only gets better throughout the years. Often times art galleries will steer artists towards some specific niche, or to something commercially viable. But at Gallery 1261 I’ve only seen the encouragement of authentic self-expression.”
Poppy Balser at Forgotten Coast en Plein Air, Port St Joe, FL, 2024
Where do you find inspiration? Poppy Balser: To be honest, I have an archive of ideas, a folder literally labeled “PAINT ME SOON” so usually, I have more ideas for paintings than I can keep up with, but when I need a creative boost, I take my paints and I go outside. I live in the woods and near the coast, so I do not have to go far before I catch something that speaks clearly to me, saying “Paint me! Make me look interesting!!”
What is the best thing about being an artist? Poppy Balser: The best thing for me is being able to capture the best parts of the world around me in my paintings in a way that other people seem to easily respond to. I take pleasure in finding interesting views or subjects and making convincing paintings of those views. The best part of this is when people look at my paintings and they feel something about what they are looking at. Sometimes it is as simple as them telling me “It feels like I am there in the scene you painted.” But sometimes it is a deeper response in their hearts and memories, and that is precious.
Ralph Oberg, "High Noon," oil, 30 x 26 in.; Winner of The Spirit of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale Award, Sponsored by The Collier Group
Western Art > Prior to the opening of 43rd Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale’s Live Auction Gallery, a carefully selected panel of judges studied the 104 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional works in the exhibition. The judges ultimately selected eight artists whose pieces best reflect the mission of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale (BBAS) and represent exceptional craft and quality. The judges announced these eight winners during the opening reception of the gallery held on Friday, August 16.
A committee invites judges who represent three distinct categories within the art world, namely: art history and scholarship, art business, and private collection. This year, the three judges selected were Kendra Heimbuck, Executive Director at The Brinton Museum, Big Horn, WY, Susan Potje, Director of the Celebration of Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ, and Scott Leinen of Omaha, NE, an art collector and Patron of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale.
The Spirit of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale Award Sponsored by The Collier Group
This award recognizes the artwork that is most representative of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale in terms of location, history, and the grandeur embodied by the “spirit” of the American West. The judges awarded this honor to “High Noon”, a 30- by 26-inch oil painting (shown at top) by Ralph Oberg. The painting depicts the arid Wyoming landscape and several pronghorn antelope in the noonday sun.
Potje remarked that Oberg “truly captures the vast open space of the American West,” complimenting the artist’s composition which “draws your eye across the entire canvas,” as well as the palette in the sagebrush and the sky.
Heimbuck agreed, saying, “your eye is drawn from the hyper-focused realistic rendering of the foreground and primary subject and moves smoothly through each figure to the soft landscape and bluffs in the back of the image. The soft tones of the color palette are a perfect complement to the iconic pronghorn and the setting.”
Leinen called the painting “a true snapshot of the Spirit of the West and the Wyoming landscape. The muted colors of the sage, cactus and brush complement the beautiful sky and the well-arranged pronghorn.”
BBAS would like to thank The Collier Group for the generous sponsorship of this award’s prize money.
Two-Dimensional Award
The judges selected “Blue Chair” by Stephanie Hartshorn as the best in show for two-dimensional artwork. Hartshorn’s oil painting is 18 by 36 inches and depicts a weathered building with a sign that reads “Waltman Store.”
Stephanie Hartshorn, “Blue Chair,” oil, 18 x 36 in., Winner of the Two-Dimensional Award
Heimbuck said, “Stephanie captures a despondent, yet true reality of the rural West. Through her impressionist style, she masterfully encapsulates a scene which we’ve all passed by and may not have paid close attention to.”
Leinen commented that “if you’ve spent any time driving through rural areas, you’ve passed this scene before. This painting is not just representative of the West, but rural America as a whole. There is a tinge of sadness or melancholy as I view the painting … and good artwork often leaves you affected in one way or another.”
Potje observed, “Stephanie captures an iconic rural setting that evokes strong emotions. Her signature style, crisp composition, and command of her palette work together for a fabulous piece. The title, ‘Blue Chair’, invites the viewer to take a closer look.”
Three-Dimensional Award
The judges selected “Home is Where You Find It” by Stefan Savides as the three-dimensional best in show. Savides’ piece is a bronze that measures 11 by 15 by 13 inches. The artist’s subject matter is a mother hen and four chicks, nestled tightly inside a crumpled metal bucket. Stefan Savides is participating in the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale for the first time in 2024.
Stefan Savides, “Home is Where You Find It,” bronze, 11 x 15 x 13 in., Winner of the Three-Dimensional Award
Leinen said “sometimes artwork just makes you smile, and this sculpture did that for me. Growing up in rural Iowa, I can identify with this scene!” He praised Savides’ artistry, saying “the use of the trampled bucket as the new home for the hen and her chicks was very clever. The bucket was extremely well done from the handle and the rivets to the striping around the top – the design was perfect.”
Potje stated, “Stefan captures the warmth and whimsy of the mama hen making a home for her chicks in the unlikely, but functional vessel. He captures the texture of the pail and the feeling of family.” The sculpture is “technically excellent and artistically brilliant,” she added.
Heimbuck noted, “This piece tells the important story of a mother hen and the feminine instinct that is alive and important in the West. Savides carried this piece out so well, rendering the nesting mother hen and her chicks in a familiar crushed bucket that has come to the end of life on the ranch.”
Judges’ Awards of Excellence
As a mark of the overall quality of the 43rd Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, the judges felt it necessary to present five additional Awards of Excellence. They felt the following pieces required recognition for their design, execution, and embodying of the Western spirit:
Ty Barhaug, “Lighting the Valley Floor,” oil, 9 x 35 in.David Dibble, “The Things We’ve Handed Down,” oil, 37 x 45 in.Chad Poppleton, “Evening Finale,” oil, 24 x 36 in.Paul Rhymer, “Night Moves,” bronze, 28 x 18 x 18 in.Skip Whitcomb, “Spring Ritual,” oil, 14 x 18 in.
BBAS limits the number of contemporary Western artists invited each year; the 2024 lineup features 104 artists, all of whom represent a high caliber of artistic knowledge and execution. These artists’ major works are available to view in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West until the Live Auction of western art commences on Friday, September 20.
Organized by the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce, the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale strives to support established and emerging Western artists, engage patrons of the arts, and enliven the Cody community with events that provide education and entertainment. The proceeds from sales and events benefit the artists, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody Country Chamber of Commerce, and local arts organizations.
Zoe Dufour (b. 1990), "Ray" (detail), 2021, ceramic stoneware, 18-carat gold luster, and steel, 40 x 24 x 20 in. (overall), private collection
There is a lot of superb contemporary sculpture being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual.
Zoe Dufour(b. 1990) is a sculptor who creates unconventional compositions that capture the powerful dance between the physical and the philosophical. “There is a strong dialogue between practice and thinking, a direct relationship between the hand and head,” the artist explains. “This balance is echoed everywhere in nature and is a constant source of inspiration. The potential for tactile, emotional, and physical connections among objects, space, people, and nature is what draws me to sculpture.”
Dufour continues, “Sculpting gives me a dynamic framework to engage with the world. My practice is a conscious study of nature, people, and animals, born of affinity, love, and curiosity. This study allows me to become more aware of my perceptions and biases so that I can better understand our world as it exists, in reality. As I sculpt, I am balancing intuitive response and rational assessment. Ultimately, I want to sculpt to create art suspended between how we experience the world and what we think we know about the world.”
Originally from Thailand, Dufour studied for five years at the Grand Central Atelier in New York City, where she learned to sculpt primarily in clay and to cast in bronze. More recently, she has been experimenting with ceramic sculpture, a medium she finds fascinating for its challenges and chemistry-based process. “The material science involved in producing ceramic work is much more rigorous than anything I’ve encountered in traditional sculpture,” she says. “Projecting results that will occur when you combine various clay bodies and glazes to particular temperatures and atmospheres in a kiln feels primal, magical, and scientific all at once.”
Illustrated here is “Ray,” a sculpture that shows a man surrounded by masked versions of himself, either whole or partial. Created in ceramic stoneware, 18-carat gold luster, and steel, these gilded reflections represent the gradations of influence on a person’s identity over a lifetime. “In geometry,” the artist notes, “a ray is part of a line that has a fixed starting point but no end point. One example is a sun ray. ‘Ray’ was sculpted as I thought about the many iterations of self we pass through from birth, and the many outside influences that shape us in our indeterminate lifetime.”
In 2021, Dufour was sculptor-in-residence at the national historical park dedicated to Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907) in Cornish, New Hampshire. For the better part of six months, she worked on ambitious life-size compositions while studying the artistry of one of America’s greatest sculptors. Following are some of the pieces she worked on while there:
Will Gullette (b. 1945), "Desert Hillside in Bloom," 2024, oil on canvas, 9 x 12 in.
Exhibition 1
Janice Yow Hindes (b. 1947), “A Light and Water Tonic,” 2024, oil on Belgian linen, 16 x 20 in.
LANDSCAPE LALAPALOOZA
Hindes Fine Art
San Antonio, Texas hindes.com
Through August 30, 2024
Artist Janice Yow Hindes opened Hindes Fine Art in 2018; five years later, artist Andrea Wollenzin joined her as co-owner. Now their gallery is presenting the exhibition “Landscape Lalapalooza,” what they call “a serious look at fun and a fun look at the seriousness of America’s vanishing landscape.” On view are recent landscape paintings by such talents as Mitch Baird, Scott Burdick, Bill Farnsworth, Janice Yow Hindes, Kyle Ma, Kevin Macpherson, Ned Mueller, Kathie Odom, John Poon, Patrick Saunders, and Matt Smith. Also here are works by the Russian-born newcomer Vladimir Krillov and by Scott Christensen, whose two-artist museum show is running simultaneously only an hour’s drive away.
Exhibition 2
Will Gullette (b. 1945), “Desert Hillside in Bloom,” 2024, oil on canvas, 9 x 12 in.
WILL GULLETTE: LANDSCAPES
Santa Ysabel Art Gallery
Santa Ysabel, California santaysabelartgallery.com
Through September 1, 2024
Santa Ysabel Art Gallery is premiering a group of recent landscape paintings created by Will Gullette. Inspired by the plein air painters of 19th-century France, especially the impressionists, this talented local resident explores the fields, forests, deserts, and mountains of Southern California, with special emphasis on San Diego County. He brings to these vistas all he has learned through more than 40 years working as a professional photographer and teacher.
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