No one’s keeping score on these matters, but if they were, the Mountain Oyster Club would win a gold trophy for its delightfully silly history on its website: “There are many colorful stories of how the Mountain Oyster Club came to be. There is probably a thread of truth in most of them. The most common versions say that it was begun by a group of cowboys, playboys, ranchers, polo players, race-horse types, and others whose unacceptable behavior had gotten them thrown out of all of the respectable establishments in Tucson. Whether the real reason for its creation was to give ranchers and their wives a place in town where they could feel at home in their boots and Levi’s and shoot out the lights without offending the rest of the membership or some other less interesting purpose, we know it began in 1948.”Dennis Ziemienski, Lady of the Canyon, oil, 12 x 16”

Nine-hundred words later and a reader not only knows the history of the group, but also the temperament and personality of its Western-loving members.

The club, named after a Google-worthy cowboy delicacy, returns November 1 (online viewing on October 1) with the 51st Annual Mountain Oyster Club Contemporary Western Art Show and Sale, which will bring together more than 300 juried works from more than 200 Western artists. “We started out with 18 artists, and this year we have more than 200 in the show, and all of them are exceptional,” says Karen Young, one of the organizers of the event. “We welcome folks in to come see the work and be enchanted by the warm Southwestern hospitality.”Harper Henry, Hold Your Hat, oil, 24 x 24”

Guests mingle during a previous Mountain Oyster Club sale. Image courtesy Nicci Radhe, Celesteal Photography.

Artists on view in the show include Jeremy Winborg, Sherry Harrington, Sonya Terpening, Kimbal Warren, Dennis Ziemienski, Tim Shinabarger and a new up-and-coming Apache artist Lorenzo Cassa. The show opens for in-person viewing on November 1. Fixed-price, by-draw bids will be accepted until November 22, at which time the draw will take place privately and winning bidders will be notified. Any unsold works will be available until early January. All the artworks, sold and unsold, will remain on view for the entirety of the exhibition. 

When asked if they serve the club’s namesake, Young replied, “We certainly do.” —

51st Annual Mountain Oyster Club Contemporary Western Art Show and Sale
November 1, 2020-January 7, 2021
Mountain Oyster Club, 6400 E. El Dorado Circle, Tucson, AZ 85715
(520) 792-0319, www.mountainoysterclub.com 

Powered by Froala Editor