When March in Montana says it offers works from all around the West, it means fine art and objects from every nook and cranny of the West. The annual show, now in its 37th year, will offer paintings and bronzes, but also silver parade saddles, Navajo weavings, wood carvings, historic Western firearms and a stunning variety of Native American objects. All of it will be offered to bidders on March 14 through 16 in Great Falls, Montana.
1864 Factory-engraved Henry Rifle, 23” barrel, .44 caliber, Serial #5384. Estimate: $80/100,000The event, which takes place in Charlie Russell’s Elks Lodge No. 214, features a live sale in two sessions and a dealer show that includes top galleries and art dealers. “So far, everything is looking fantastic. This is going to be our best show,” says show co-owner Ron Nicklas. “March in Montanais a very unique auction because we’re a lot of auctions in one. We have all the Western fine art items, but also Native American weavings and objects and so much more. And the people who show up are some of the best dealers and collectors in the business. Last year we had a collector who bought an expensive gun because he saw it as a piece of art. Those are the kinds of bidders who are participating in our sales. They come for the quality, but also the high-energy, fast-paced atmosphere of the sale that is so enjoyable.”
Olaf C. Seltzer (1877-1957), Return at Twilight, oil on canvas, 16 x 24” Estimate: $30/50,000
William Gollings (1878-1932), Winter Camp, oil on canvas, 24 x 18” Estimate: $80/120,000Nicklas also adds that all the events are free, which allows people to drop in and browse without having to buy a ticket. “It’s that in-person energy that ends up bringing people in,” he says. “We offer two online bidding platforms, but the in-person bidding is what makes the show so fun to watch.”
This year’s sales will feature around 775 lots over two sessions. Highlights include a Harry Jackson collection that is coming out of the Midwest. The collector was a friend of Harry Jackson and acquired a number of exceptional pieces from the artist, of which 15 will be available to bidders.
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), Sleigh Ride or Study for The Dover Coach or Study for the Christmas Coach, oil on board, 9 x 22” Estimate: $50/70,000
One of the top lots is an 1864 factory-engraved Henry Rifle. The historic .44-caliber rifle was engraved by Samuel J. Hoggson, who performed most of the engraving work for the New Haven Arms Company on earlier Henry Rifles. The rifle is engraved with typical floral designs of vines, leaves and flowers, with the left sideplate engraved with a detailed dog on point. Certain aspects of the design and engraving indicate the rifle may be a one-of-a-kind example, which should heighten interest. While these rifles are often still functional, many collectors acquire them to complement Western fine art in their collections. The rifle is estimated at $80,000 to $100,000.
Andy Thomas, Dragoons in Apache Country, oil, 24 x 36” Estimate: $30/50,000
William Gollings will have two major pieces in the sale: Winter Camp (est. $80/120,000) and Indian Camp (est. $30/50,000). Gollings’ works have long been sought after by top collectors, but recent sales have shown a more intense interest from bidders as his prices rise.
Harry Jackson (1924-2011), Pony Express II, painted bronze, 13 x 16 x 9” Estimate: $6/8,000
Navajo rug, circa 1940s, Montana-sized floor rug in colors of jet black, steel grey, red and ivory white, 16 x 9’ Estimate: $25/35,000
A Western-themed piece by Norman Rockwell will be featured in the sale with estimates of $50,000 to $70,000. The work, known as Sleigh Ride (as well as Study for The Dover Coach or Study for the Christmas Coach), shows a cluster of people inside and on top of a stagecoach as it rides through the snow. The painting has a light quality to it, with pastel-like colors and looseness in the brushwork. It was done as an oil sketch in 1935 as a preliminary work to a large mural painting, The Dover State, which now hangs in the Clubhouse of the Society of Illustrators in New York City. The lot comes with a Rockwell book, as well as a Polaroid of Norman Rockwell, and a personal note signed by the artist noting it was a sketch/study and served as a guide for the full painting.
Other historic paintings include Olaf C. Seltzer’s Return at Twilight (est. $30/50,000), Henry Farny’s ink wash work of Sitting Bull (est. $8/12,000), and two paintings by William Standing, an artist whose auction world record was set by March in Montana in 2020. In the bronze category, the sale will offer Allan Houser’s Swift Messenger (est. $12/18,000) and Russell’s Smoking Up(est. $10/15,000).
Mark Maggiori, First Night of Spring, oil on linen, 16 x 20” Estimate: $20/30,000
Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), Smoking Up, bronze, 12 x 10 x 6” Estimate: $10/15,000”
Works of art by living artists include Mark Maggiori’s First Night of Spring (est. $20/30,000), Joe Kronenberg’s Businessmen (est. $10/15,000), Billy Schenck’s Sneaky Saguaros (est. $10/15,000), Abigail Gutting’s bison painting Familiar Territory (est. $8/12,000), Brent Cotton’s tonalist landscape Sunset Creek(est. $8/12,000) and also new pieces from Jennifer Johnson and Andy Thomas.
Abigail Gutting, Familiar Territory, oil on linen/gatorform panel, 30 x 40” Estimate: $8/12,000Native American objects in the sale will include Miniconjou Sioux warrior White Bull’s shirt that is accented with beaded cuffs, fringe and two elk teeth. White Bull was the nephew of Sitting Bull. The shirt comes with a 24-by-20-inch painting of White Bull by Thomas Mails (1922-2001). The estimate for the lot is $40,000 to $50,000. Another item in this category is an 18th-century bow and quiver with nine arrows (est. $18/25,000). Additionally, Navajo weavings always play a role in the sale and this year is no exception, with outstanding examples in numerous price points. One of the largest examples is a 16-by-9-foot rug in colors of jet black, steel grey, red and ivory white. The rug is woven from all Native hand-shorn, hand-dyed, hand-carded and handspun Churro cross sheep wools on a wool warp. The weaving, from around the 1940s, is estimated at $25,000 to $35,000.
Joe Kronenberg, Businessmen, oil on canvas, 26 x 42” Estimate: $10/15,000
Finally, March in Montana will also have an Edward H. Bohlin silver parade saddle with matching tapaderos, headstall and reins. From the late 1930s, the saddle is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. —March in Montana
March 14-16, 2024
Dealer show and auction preview, March 14-16, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Session I, March 15, 11 a.m.
Session II, March 16, 11 a.m.
Great Falls Elks Lodge, No. 214, 500 First Avenue South Great Falls, MT 59401
(208) 664-2091, www.marchinmontana.com
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