Western Art Collector magazine has changed the way artists, galleries and collectors connect. It has closed the gap that previously existed in the Western art market. Spectacular and instant SOLD! stories keep rolling in. On this page you can read just some of the feedback pouring into our office from coast to coast on sales and connections achieved. And now that the Virtual Version of the magazine launches up to 10 days before the Printed edition arrives, collectors can find new art even faster.

SOLD!

Highlights of recent sales in the Western art market

A banner weekend in Jackson Hole for Thomas Blackshear II
Thomas Blackshear II had a phenomenal September weekend in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Not only was he the featured artist for the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival, but he also had a show open at Trailside Galleries, where a $50,000 work sold on opening weekend. As if that wasn’t enough, Blackshear’s Swan Song was offered at the Jackson Hole Art Auction on September 19. The work was estimated at $20,000 to $30,000, but quickly flew out of that price range, finally settling on $77,350, an auction record for the artist. The work was also the cover of the September issue of Western Art Collector. “Thomas is offering a refreshing take on the West, and doing so with a contemporary flair,” says Trailside Galleries owner Maryvonne Leshe. “He’s offering a fresh and unique look…and collectors are responding to that.”

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Coeur d’Alene Art Auction achieves $10.4 million in sales
A Thomas Moran piece featuring one of the artist’s most iconic subjects was the top lot at the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction in Reno, Nevada, on July 25. The 1863 oil Green River, Wyoming was estimated at $1 million to $1.5 million. The work eventually sold for $1,633,800. Other tops lots were from Victor Higgins, Ernest L. Blumenschein, Carl Rungius, William Gollings and Charles M. Russell.

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A Charlie Russell piece leads the pack at the rescheduled Russell Live
Normally held in March, The Russell was moved this year to September 12 in Great Falls, Montana. The auction realized more than $4.85 million in sales. The top lot was the 1894 oil Following the Buffalo Run by Charles M. Russell, the event’s namesake. The work was estimated at $1.5 million to $2 million, and came in just shy of that at $1.2 million. Preparations have already begun for Russell events in March and August 2021.

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Billy Schenck rocks the house at Blue Rain Gallery
New works by Billy Schenck were among some standout sales at Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “Contemporary Western painter Billy Schenck, otherwise referred to as the ‘Granddaddy of Western Pop,’ continues to bring along fans of the Western genre with his unmistakable photorealist technique, surprising palette and brilliant compositions,” says Denise Phetteplace, executive director at the gallery. “His paintings embrace all of the metaphor, mythology and mystique that the Western genre holds. Some recent sale highlights of his work include paintings such as Zuni Buttes, Mares & Foal, Study for Chingona, Study for the Roper and The Trail Ahead.”

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Glenn Dean returns to Maxwell Alexander with sold-out show
Contemporary Western painter Glenn Dean had a spectacular September sale at Maxwell Alexander Gallery in Los Angeles. The California-based painter brought a dozen new works to a show titled Across the Divide. The show quickly sold out, further cementing Dean’s growing and important presence within Western Art. The show featured a number of Dean’s popular cowboy pieces, but also included Native American subjects. The show was previewed in the September issue of Western Art Collector.

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Edward S. Curtis republication sold right from the pages of the magazine
Christopher Cardozo’s recreation of Edward S. Curtis’ ambitious publication The North American Indian has been featured in numerous ads Cardozo has placed in Western Art Collector in recent years. He routinely reports sales from the ads: “We have sold more sets of our historic republication of Edward Curtis’ The North American Indian through our ads in Western Art Collector than any other source,” he says. “We have also been very pleased with the quality of the new clients and their strong interest in what we offer.” —