Opening November 7 in Big Horn, Wyoming, is The Brinton 101, the Brinton Museum’s annual small works show and sale. True to form, the museum will be presenting works from 101 Western artists.
“We always aim for a full roster, and this year we got it again,” says Barbara McNab, the museum’s curator of exhibitions and museum education. “And we may even get a couple of additional artists, which should be fun.”
Julie Oriet, Table with a View, oil on linen, 8 x 10”
The museum, which is open now with several health protocols in place to protect visitors and staff, may not be able to have a normal opening reception, but all fingers are crossed. “There’s still some time between now and November 7, so we’re hopeful,” says Brinton director and chief curator Kenneth L. Schuster, who added that the museum was prepared to meet collectors’ needs should health restrictions prevent an opening celebration. “We’re very flexible at this time, and will remain so.”
Terry Cooke Hall, Storm Watch, oil, 10 x 8”
Artists participating in this year’s event include Clyde Aspevig, Bob Barlow, Karen Bondarchuk, Sonja Caywood, Brent Cotton, Steve Devenyns, Veryl Goodnight, Ann Hanson, T. D. Kelsey, T. Allen Lawson, Mark McKenna, Dustin Payne, Chessney Sevier, Michael Ome Untiedt, Kathy Wipfler and many others.
The painted works submitted for the exhibition are typically 8 by 10 inches or smaller, and never exceed 80 square inches. The three-dimensional works are around 12 by 8 by 10 inches. Each artist may submit up to three pieces. 
Jake Gaedtke, In the Heart of the Night, oil, 10 x 8”
While the show draws artists from around the country, it also brings in a lot of regional flavor, which adds another dimension to the exhibition. “I would say a good 60 percent of the artwork comes from within our little four-state area, which includes Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Utah,” Schuster says. “And, of course, our wildlife is always very strong. It tends to run in stages. Last year we had an abundance of bison, which means this year we’re likely to see more moose and deer.”
Sonja Caywood, Standing Watch, Columbus Creek Road, oil, 8 x 10”
Schuster adds that the event is a fundraiser, with 30 percent of the art sales going directly into programming at the museum. Like many museums nationwide, the Brinton is dependent on funds to keep the doors open, especially during this critical period amid the pandemic, when ticket and gift shop sales have all but evaporated. 
Dustin Payne, The Range Colt, bronze, 11½ x 10 x 5”
“I was just reading something Hans Kleiber wrote after Bill Gollings died in 1932, right in the middle of the Great Depression. He was trying to encourage residents in the city to start a Gollings collection. He wrote, ‘We can live without a lot, but we can’t live without art,’” Schuster says. “Civilization is better with art.” —
The Brinton 101
November 7-December 23, 2020
The Brinton Museum, 239 Brinton Road, Big Horn, WY 82833
(307) 672-3173, www.thebrintonmuseum.org
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