Western Art Collector magazine has changed the way artists, galleries and collectors connect, and it has closed the gap that previously existed in the Western art market. Our SOLD! section is where we highlight these connections, as well as other sales occuring within the market. Within this monthly section you can read just some of the feedback pouring into our office from coast to coast about art sales, including some made directly from the pages of the magazine. You never know—your next art purchase could be in this issue.
1. Little gems sell for big numbers in Wyoming
Jackson Hole Art Auction’s inaugural Wyoming Art Auction performed well on February 20 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The sale realized nearly $800,000 with a whopping 96 percent sell-through rate. One of the key highlights was Clark Kelley Price’s Sweet Wyoming Home, which was estimated at $3,000 to $5,000, but eventually climbed to hit $30,000. Similar estimates were on an untitled horse painting from Bill Owen. The work sold for $33,000, well over its $2,500 high estimate.
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2. Painted West brings in strong results for Legacy Gallery in Arizona
On February 13, Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona, opened The Painted West, a new group show featuring work from John Moyers, Terri Kelly Moyers, Bill Anton, G. Russell Case, Glenn Dean, Jason Rich, Matt Smith and Kyle Polzin. A highlight from the by-draw sale, which brought in more than $600,000, was this new work from Morgan Weistling, The Frontier Gambler.
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3. Don Weller advertises in Western Art Collector and sees immediate results
Famed Western watercolorist Don Weller recently sold New Loop. He tells the story: “The image started as a photo I took at the Downing Family branding near Woodruff, Utah, a few years ago. This particular fellow is a day-working cowboy part time, and a helicopter pilot as his other job. The image is a large oil painting, 30 by 40 inches, used in an ad in Western Art Collector just before the Covid-19 pandemic. The painting was a favorite of mine, and it hung in our house throughout the year of cancelled shows and cancelled travel. Someone from Washington state bought the painting in early 2021, without ever seeing the original. We sent it to him, and he received it a week ago, and we were able to stop worrying. He said it arrived in great shape and he loves it.”
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Image Caption4. Painter and sculptor Ed Mell has a strong season in Arizona
Phoenix artist Ed Mell saw strong results from new and returning collectors at his Ed Mell Gallery leading up to his March solo show. The artist, known for his modernist and abstracted views of the Southwest, sold a number new works, including this piece, Fading Memory, a 20-by-20-inch oil on linen. Mell also branched out in 2021: He joined the Masters of the American West exhibition at the Autry Museum of the West and gave brand-new work to offer bidders at the Scottsdale Art Auction.
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5. Eric Bowman’s new show sells out on first day
Oregon artist Eric Bowman has been on a hot streak for the better part of three years, with no signs of slowing down. On February 12, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson, Arizona, held a solo show for Bowman and within a day the gallery had sold everything by the rising Western star. Bowman was also on the cover of our February issue as we previewed the Masters of the American West show in Los Angeles.
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6. A new work by John Moyers sells in Tucson, Arizona
John Moyers has also had success at Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson, Arizona. The artist, now based in Southern California, recently sold a work titled South from the Pueblo. The 12-by-24-inch work is a classic Moyers image, with Native American figures, his loose brushwork and evocative compositions.—
Interested in having your SOLD! stories featured in the pages of Western Art Collector magazine? Email Michael Clawson at mclawson@westernartcollector.com to find out how you can share your recent sales and successes.
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