March 17-19, 2022 | Great Falls Elks Lodge, No. 214 | Great Falls, MT

Cowboy Life

The 35th annual March in Montana auction and dealer show offers an array of Western paintings and sculpture, cowboy collectibles and Native American art.

This year the famed March in Montana auction and dealer show will mark 35 years of celebrating the cowboy way of life. Since its inception it has brought together collectors and enthusiasts of Western art, cowboy and Native American collectibles, antiques and so much more. The event takes place in Great Falls, Montana, each March during what has been dubbed over the years as Russell Week in honor of artist Charles M. Russell who has deep ties to the area.

Happening March 17 to 19, the 2022 edition will return to Elks Lodge No. 214, Russell’s lodge, in downtown Great Falls. The auction will be held on Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m., with the Saturday session taking place on Russell’s birthday. To mark the occasion March in Montana partners—Coeur d’Alene Galleries and Coeur d’Alene Art Auction—have planned a few surprises that collectors won’t want to miss.Olaf Wieghorst (1899-1988), Bucking Bronc, oil on board, 47½ x 45¾”. Estimate: $20/30,000

Andy Thomas, Fight on the Southern Plains, oil on canvas, 32 x 40”. Estimate: $40/60,000

“Were planning to have 750 lots, and it’s divided up between a wide variety of items,” says Ron Nicklas, partner. “There’s Native American art, a great selection of Winchester firearms and the weavings are a big part of our sale and always have been. Then, of course, the Western paintings and bronzes.”

Two large paintings by Olaf Wieghorst are of particular note including Bucking Bronc (est. $20/30,000). According to Nicklas, the works have “just the coolest stories behind them. They were painted in the 1920s in [the Blue Front Bar] in New Mexico when Olaf was a cowboy down there [at the Quarter Circle 2C Ranch].” The paintings were removed from the bar walls in the early 1960s and reframed. In the Bucking Bronc painting “the horse has the brand of the Cross Y Ranch which was owned by Fred Holliman at the time. The Holliman family were some of the first pioneers of the New Mexico territory.”Henry C. Balink (1882-1963), Indian Placing Feather in Dance Roach, oil on canvas, 30 x 25”. Estimate: $30/40,000

Winchester 1873, 44-40 caliber, 28” barrel. Side plated and receiver marked 108, which is consistent with 1 of 1000. Serial #31269. Estimate: $75/125,000

A special work in the auction is a Saturday Evening Post cover illustration by Harvey Dunn titled High Country. The piece, which appeared on a January 1908 edition of the famed publication, spotlights the popular illustration segment of the Western art category that has continued to pick up steam over the years. It is estimated to sell between $40,000 and $60,000. Another historic work in the auction is Henry C. Balink’s Indian Placing Feather in Dance Roach, which has an estimate of $30,000 to $40,000.

Contemporary Western work is always a highlight during the sale with a number of artists creating art specifically for the auction. Among the dozen or so pieces is Andy Thomas’ Fight on the Southern Plains, showing off his interest in historic imagery. The painting is set at $40,000 to $60,000.Harvey Dunn (1884-1952), High Country, Saturday Evening Post cover, January 1908, oil on canvas, 36 x 23½”. Estimate: $40/60,000

Navajo rug from the Red Mesa area with eyedazzler design and hooked border. Spirit line visible, ca. 1935, 63 x 42”. Estimate: $1,5/2,500

Outside the Western art category is a great selection of weavings including an Alaskan work that should generate a strong buzz and a Navajo rug from the Red Mesa area that has an estimate of $1,500 to $2,500. “We also have a Native American knife sheath and knife that’s from a collection of one of the premier experts in the country on Indian artifacts,” says Nicklas. There also is an 1873 Winchester “one of a thousand” rifle hitting the auction block. Nicklas adds that “it’s one of the hardest, if not the hardest to find, Winchesters there are.” It’s estimated at $75,000 to $125,000.

The two days of auction will happen March 18 and 19, beginning at 11 a.m. both days. Bidders can participate live in the showroom, by telephone, absentee and through two online platforms. The dealer show, happening all three days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will include booths for the partners as well as Mike Barlow Classic Wildlife Sculpture, Hodges Fine Art, Manitou Gallery Historic, Settlers West Galleries and Tierney Fine Art. —

March in Montana
March 17-19, 2022
Dealer show, March 17-20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Auction, March 18 and 19, 11 a.m.
Great Falls Elks Lodge, No. 214
500 First Avenue South, Great Falls, MT 59401
(208) 664-2091, www.marchinmontana.com