Beginning March 16, March in Montana is returning to Great Falls, Montana, and the sale and show will offer a huge variety of material, all of it related to the West in some way. 
Bill Gollings (1878-1932), Black Hank, mixed media, 18 x 11½” Estimate: $20/30,000
“We’re always very proud that March in Montana has something for everyone, and that is true once again this year as we bring more than 750 lots of historic and contemporary material to the auction,” says Ron Nicklas, the auction’s managing partner. “The sales are always fun and energetic, and this year will be no exception.”
March in Montana was one of the first shows affected by the pandemic in 2020, when the show had to switch to an online-only format since visitors could not be in the room where the auction was being held. Since then, the show and sale have roared back to life as March in Montana has posted record sales and huge attendance. “Last year we had a full house with standing room only,” Nicklas adds. “It was something to see. And our venue, the Great Falls Elks Lodge, is such a great place to have a show. It’s centrally located, so our guests can go to all the other shows with ease.”
Don Oelze, Wrong Move, oil on canvas, 40 x 46” Estimate: $20/30,000”The dealer show, which will take place March 16 to 18, will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all three days, while the auction preview will be available those same hours only on March 16. The two auction sessions will take place March 17 and 18, both at 11 a.m.
Earle E. Heikka (1910-1941), Packstring, 1929, bronze, 10½ x 45 x 6” Estimate: $8/12,000
Highlights from the sale include several noteworthy paintings: Don Oelze’s hunting scene Wrong Move (est. $20/30,000), Brent Cotton’s landscape The Refuge at Dawn (est. $15/25,000), Colt Idol’s cattle painting Where the Green Grass Grows (est. $4,500/6,500), Jessica Bryant’s watercolor Lower Salmon River (est. $5/7,000) and Bill Gollings’ Black Hank (est. $20/30,000). Another painting lot is William Standing’s Buffalo Hunt, an oil on canvas estimated to sell for $12,000 to $18,000. Both Gollings and Standing have had remarkable success at March in Montana, with high sales and consistent bidding across many paintings over recent years. 
Brent Cotton, The Refuge at Dawn, oil on canvas, 36 x 60” Estimate: $15/25,000
Assiniboine/Gros ventre war shirt, ca. 1885, 52 x 26” Estimate: $35/45,000
Sculptural work in the sale includes Earle Heikka’s bronze Packstring, estimated at $8,000 to $12,000, and John L. Clarke’s woodcarving Large Bear, estimated at $10,000 to $15,000. Both artists’ works are very rare to the market, and they should bring a lot of attention from bidders. “The Clarke is getting a lot of calls. There’s going to be a lot of eyes on that one,” says Nicklas.
John L. Clarke (1881-1970), Large Bear, woodcarving, 8 x 8 x 8½” Estimate: $10/15,000
The sale always has some significant textiles works by Native American weavers, and this year’s selection is commanded by a “Montana-sized floor rug” from the JB Moore Crystal Trading Post area. “The bright red field hosts many of the old Crystal Trading Post medallions and motifs,” the auction house notes about the rug, which was made around 1920. “The corner fields are all a handsome, hand-carded variegated grey with bold black-and-white JB Moore medallions. The border is a bold, red and black chisel-tooth motif going all the way around.” The weaving, measuring a massive 14 by 9 feet, is estimated at $25,000 to $35,000.
Lakota woman’s beaded dress yoke, ca. 1870, 48” long Estimate: $8/12,000”
Navajo rug from the JB Moore Crystal Trading Post area, ca. 1920, 163 x 104” Estimate: $25/35,000”
Other Native American materials include a Lakota woman’s beaded dress yoke from around 1870 (est. $8/12,000), a Lakota beaded cradle from around 1870 (est. $8/12,000) and an Assiniboine/Gros Ventre war shirt from around 1885 (est. $35/45,000). “We have twice as many Native American pieces as we had last year. We had some great collectors come to us, and that market has been relatively strong,” Nicklas says. “Bidders are going to be excited to see the materials we have.”Another highlight from the sale is an 1866 Winchester, a serious rifle for collectors of Western history. The Winchester, often referred to as a Yellowboy because of the distinctive brass receiver, was first made in 1866, so it’s a very good year. Another aspect that should intrigue collectors is the engraving done by master engraver Louis Daniel Nimschke (1832-1904). “Nimschke moved to the United States from Germany in 1850 and at age 18 began an engraving career that lasted a lifetime,” according to the auction catalog. “Unlike most engravers who went to work for the firearms company, Nimschke took his work on a contractual basis, preferring to work out of his studio in New York City where he engraved firearms for Theodore Roosevelt, George Armstrong Custer, Buffalo Bill and Napoleon III. The Winchester rifle is estimated at $25,000 to $50,000.
William Standing (1904-1951), Buffalo Hunt, oil on canvas, 20 x 30” Estimate: $12/18,000
1866 Winchester, 23½” octagon barrel, fine engraving, Serial #20927, engraved by master engraver Louis Daniel Nimschke (1832-1904). Estimate: $25/50,000March in Montana will take place during a bustling period in Great Falls known as Western Art Week, or more informally as Russell Week. The week of events is timed with the birthday of Charles M. Russell, who lived in Great Falls and made it his stomping ground more than a century ago. —
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