August 2020

While the Old West and some of its more famous aspects have long since passed into lore, remnants of that timeless era of rugged cowboys, cattle drives and pastoral scenes live on in America’s rich collection of barns and farms. As art subjects, barns and farms have been used by some of Western art’s most talented artists, who strive to bring landscapes and farm scenes to life to tell stories about America’s past, present and future, be it with quiet landscapes of the iconic red barn on a country ranch or contemporary farm scenes involving modern-day cattle rustlers. Additionally, other artists focus on the farm animals, particularly horses, as well as scenes of nature reclaiming historic structures left unattended and forgotten.

From swooping eagles skimming mountain lakes to horned owls perched high up in forest canopies to brightly colored robins fluttering amid tall grasses, birds have long been a staple of Western art, from John James Audubon to the present day. These majestic winged creatures, and their magnificent plumage and graceful movements, will be the stars of our fifth annual special section Winged Creatures: Art of the Bird appearing in the August issue of Western Art Collector.

Montana is the perfect place for Western art collectors, galleries, dealers, artists and museums. Western Art Collector returns with our 12th annual State of the Art: Montana guide dedicated to the Big Sky Country. We are thrilled to continue to provide collectors with information on popular events that take place annually like The Russell, the Out West Art Show & Sale and March in Montana. Expect coverage on art communities spanning the state like Big Sky, Bozeman, Great Falls, Hamilton, Helena, Kalispell, Missoula and more.