The Buffalo Bill Art Show & Salereturns to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West for its 42nd year, featuring more than 100 contemporary Western artists working in oil, watercolor, pastel, bronze and more. All works will be available to view in the live auction gallery beginning August 18, with the auction itself taking place on Friday, September 22. The evening includes dinner, an open bar and a silent auction as well.
John Potter’s Spirits of the West on the runway during the Live Auction in 2022.
Other events taking place during the show and sale include the Buy-it-Now Sale (August 18 to September 22); a three-day workshop titled Painting on the Porch with Terry Cooke Hall (September 18 to 20); Colorful Canvases with Stephanie Hartshorn (September 21), a half-day painting workshop for beginner-to-advanced painters; the Quick Draw & Sale on September 23 and more.
For participating artist Dustin Van Wechel, there are three things that make the Buffalo Bill Art Show an impactful event. “First, the museum is a wonderful place to exhibit one’s work, and they always treat us artists like royalty. Second, it’s the people attending the show. They’re engaged and excited to be there, and I love how warm and welcoming everyone always is…And finally, it’s the artists. Being an artist can be a very solitary profession, and it’s always a joy to get out and see my artist friends every year in Cody,” he says. Speed Dating, Van Wechel’s painting in this year’s event, was actually inspired by his trip out to last year’s Buffalo Billshow. “A couple of artist friends of mine and I spent time out exploring the area around Cody…One day we happened upon a herd of pronghorn antelope just outside of town. The area had been scattered with thunderstorms the previous day, and it just seemed natural to me to put all of the elements together to tell a dramatic visual story about the pronghorn on canvas.”
Quang Ho, Closeness, oil, 24 x 24”
Another artist whose work will be in the 2023 show is LaQuincey Reed. “The Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale is special to me because of the great friends that I’ve made and the opportunities it has provided to me,” says the artist. “Everyone is so supportive and wants to have great success every year. Also, the talent at every show is at such a high level that I always try to bring the most unique piece I can, and this year is no exception.”
Jim Wodark, Moonlight Serenade, oil, 24 x 36”
This will be David Mensing’s 11th year exhibiting at the Buffalo Bill Art Show. “Buffalo Bill is a highlight for me every year. Cody offers an excitement and Western hospitality that is unmatched,” he says. His painting, The Ways, captures a January sunset in one of the artist’s “favorite places on Earth,” Perkins Lake in central Idaho. “I cannot fully describe how significant this place has been in our lives. In creating this painting, I intended to express the brilliance of a January sunset over the frozen lake. I like the warm sense of light moving down the valley in the background. I am particularly excited about the sunlight burning through the trees and the shape of the shadows on the snow.”
Chad Poppleton, Soul Mates, oil, 24 x 36”
Brandon Bailey’s artwork in the show depicts a group of warriors riding upon distant smoke on the bank of the North Fork of the Shoshone River in Wyoming. “I really love the caliber and quality of work in the show,” says Bailey. “The first time every year when walking around the show, I find myself being honored and humbled to have my work hanging next to such great artists.” —
42nd Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale
September 18-23, 2023
Buffalo Bill Center of the West, 720 Sheridan Avenue, Cody, WY 82414
(307) 587-4771, www.buffalobillartshow.org
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