A full room, active bidding and fierce competition marked the 37th annual March in Montanain Great Falls, Montana, on March 15 and 16. The 777-lot sale realized $3.2 million in sales with a 97 percent sell-through rate.
Auctioneer Troy Black works the crowd during the 2024 March in Montana.
The top lot of the two-day sale was Norman Rockwell’s 1935 study Sleigh Ride. Accompanying the lot was a collection of books and materials, including a Polaroid photograph of Rockwell and a personal note signed by the artist stating it was a study for a larger painting. The piece the study would inspire is a mural titled The Dover Stage that hangs in the clubhouse of the Society of Illustrators in New York City. The study has a long history in Great Falls, where it was shown in 2005 at the C.M. Russell Museum.
William Gollings (1878-1932), Winter Camp, 1923, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in. Estimate: $80/120,000 SOLD: $102,000
Other artists from the early 20th century include William Gollings, whose works Winter Camp (est. $80/120,000) and Indian Camp (est. $30/50,000) sold for $102,000 and $33,000, and Olaf C. Seltzer, whose painting Return at Twilight sold for $60,000, well over its $50,000 high estimate.
Three contemporary artists had works in the top 10 lots. The top was Joe Kronenberg, whose moody town scene titled Businessmen sold for $84,000, more than five times its high estimate of $15,000. The painting doubled Kronenberg’s previous auction record of $42,000 set in 2022. Mark Maggiori’s First Night of Spring sold for $51,000, nearly doubling its high estimate of $30,000, while Don Oelze’s Narrow Escapesold over its $25,000 high estimate at nearly $40,000.
Joe Kronenberg, Businessmen, oil on canvas, 26 x 42 in. Estimate: $10/15,000 SOLD: $84,000
Another artist gaining traction across many markets is Native American artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (Confederated Salish/Kootenai). Her piece The Environment: Carry a Red Flag sold for $48,000, well over its $30,000 high estimate. Smith has a growing group of collectors, including prominent modern and abstract collectors on the East Coast.
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), Sleigh Ride or Study for The Dover Coach or Study for the Christmas Coach, 1935, oil on board, 9 x 22 in. Estimate: $50/70,000 SOLD: $240,000
March in Montana has already announced its 2025 dates, which will be on March 20 through 22. —
Top 10 Lots: March in Montana, March 15-16, 2024 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist Title Low/High Est. SOLD
Norman Rockwell Sleigh Ride $50/70,000 $240,000
William Gollings Winter Camp $80/120,000 $102,000
Joe Kronenberg Businessmen $10/15,000 $84,000
Olaf C. Seltzer Return at Twilight $30/50,000 $60,000
Mark Maggiori First Night of Spring $20/30,000 $51,000
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith The Environment $20/30,000 $48,000
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith White Bull Crow Shirt $40/50,000 $39,975
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith Sioux Beaded/Quilled Bow & Quiver $18/25,000 $39,975
Don Oelze Narrow Escape $18/25,000 $33,825
William Gollings Indian Camp $30/50,000 $33,000
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