It felt more like a reunion than anything. As people filed into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, they weren’t there just to see the Prix de West, but to see each other and the artists. A virtual show in 2020—and a long fall, winter and spring of Covid—had left visitors missing the museum and its sense of community. So when the show kicked off and the doors to the museum were thrown open, there was an outpouring of emotion as the Western art world began to heal.
And collectors must have felt very good about the show and the positive feelings it brought, because by the end of the Prix de West’s opening weekend on June 25 and 26, the sales total was estimated at $2.6 million. It’s hard to judge sales in a post-pandemic world, especially as some collectors still can’t travel, but overall spirits were high as museum officials wrapped up the weekend and artists started making the trek back to their studios. 
Greg Beecham, Gone Fishin’, oil on linen, 30 x 48”
Daniel Smith, Through the Caldera, acrylic, 24 x 36”
Award winners at the 49th annual Prix de West were Joel R. Johnson for the Donald Teague Award for a work on paper, Daniel Smith won the wildlife award, Scott Burdick won the Robert Lougheed Award for his body of submitted work, Skip Whitcomb won the Wilson Hurley Award for landscape painting, Ross Matteson won the sculpture award, Daniel F. Gerhartz took home the Frederic Remington Painting Award and Bonnie Marris won the buyer’s choice for a large up-close view of a mountain lion. Elsewhere in the awards ceremony was a special Director’s Choice Award for a marvelous John Moyers painting that measured 24 by 96 inches. Eric Bowman, in only his second year at the Prix, won the Great American Cowboy award. He was so shocked at the award, all he could muster out for a speech was “Holy buckets!” 
Daniel F. Gerhartz, Wayfaring Stranger, oil, 60 x 40”
The big winner was wildlife painter Greg Beecham, whose painting Gone Fishin’, showing a mountain lion splashing in a stream, won the Museum Purchase Award. The painter was visibly moved by the announcement, and later said it was his dream to have his work in the Oklahoma museum. “This is it. It’s the greatest honor an artist can ask for,” he said. “Just knowing that a painting can be here for generations to come is overwhelming.”
The sale portion of the opening included strong performances from Carrie Ballantyne, Burdick, Bowman, Joseph Bohler, Tim Cherry, Brent Cotton, Josh Elliott, Charles Fritz, Oreland Joe, Z.S. Liang, David Mann, Howard Post, Matt Smith, Daniel Smith, Curt Walters and newcomer Ed Mell, who sold out all of his work on the first round of the draw.
1. Greg Beecham greets visitors and poses for photos next to his piece Gone Fishin’, which won the Museum Purchase Award at the Prix de West. 2. John and Sue Coleman, left, with Jeremy and Danielle Lipking. 3. Oreland Joe stands next to a painting by John Moyers that he modeled for many years ago. 4. Booth Museum executive director Seth Hopkins, left, with painter Josh Elliott, Couse-Sharp Historic Site director Davison Koenig and painter G. Russell Case. 5. Eric Bowman after winning the Great American Cowboy Award. 6. Huihan Liu with one of his Prix de West works. 7. Curt Walters with one of his collectors after her successful purchase.
Later in the evening, during the live auction, a painting and pair of hand-made moccasins, both by Kyle Polzin, stole the show when strong bidding sent the lot to $100,000. Polzin was greeted with a standing ovation.
The Prix de West team is already fast at work on next year’s show and sale. The 2022 show will be the 50th annual event. —
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