For the 2024 Western Visions Show + Sale, hosted annually at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, collectors can expect another year of spectacular wildlife artworks from more than 170 artists. There are also two art categories to enjoy: the Small Format, which boasts over 140 pieces in smaller dimensions, and the Large Format of over 30 pieces—centered around the chosen theme of “connection.”
Michelle Dickson, director of programs and events, also mentions that the theme is taken directly from the museum’s vision statement: “Inspire connections with wildlife and nature.” She explains that “this theme was specifically selected for the many ways in which we hoped it would be interpreted by our artists, much in the same sense that humans have innumerable ways to connect with nature—endless possibilities!”
Edward Aldrich, Vast, oil on linen, 24 x 48 in.Sculpture artist Brad Rude will show his bronze A Curious Path for the large-format category, and he adds that the theme of “connection” was paramount in his creation of the new piece featuring a bobcat and red-tailed hawk. “Both of these magnificent creatures are stealthy, and they really seemed to just naturally fit together as part of the idea for the show,” the artist says. “Their pairing just coalesced in my mind without a lot of concentrated thoughts and evolved quite quickly. Their positioning on the large stone and supporting stick speak to my professional theme of movement as a nod to the journey of life that we are all a part of. Both [animals] are sculpted in a life-size, realistic format, and therefore I chose to use a real rock and stick to mold and cast as it makes the grouping more believable.”
Greg Beecham, Early One November Morning, oil on linen board, 14 x 18 in.
Rude adds, “I really want my animals to be touched and for viewers to feel the surface and to connect with the physical senses. It is a method to promote the ‘connections’ we have with everything.”
Long time returning artist Edward Aldrich also has work in the large-format section. He shares that this is his 20th year participating in Western Visions,and is the event he most looks forward to in every year. “As a painter of primarily wildlife, I look forward to being a part of the top show in the country for this particular genre,” he says. “There are many amazing, collected artist shows throughout the country, but this is the one show which focuses on artwork featuring the diverse array of fauna that share our world, and it is so exciting to see all the different interpretations of animals...”
A view of last year’s Western Visions Show + Sale signature event.
J.R. Hess, Dreamcatcher, mixed media, 17 x 11 in.
This year, Aldrich presents his stunning oil painting Vast, noting that the piece, which depicts a bison, is primarily about mood, lighting and texture. “Visually, I wanted the mood to come across first. That early light cutting through morning fog and illuminating the bison and the grasses in which it is standing, creates an unmistakable feeling for those who have been fortunate enough to experience that kind of scene,” he says. “It is also about the connection the bison has with its environment. The animal is looking slightly away from the viewer, as if it is aware of some unseen part of its world that has caught its attention.” Aldrich also utilizes multiple layers of paint “built up to create the effect of enhancing the quality of light that appears in the painting,” he says.
Brett James Smith, Second Thoughts, oil on linen, 30 x 24 in.
Greg Beecham presents his oil work Early One November Morning for the small-format section, which portrays a young buck he saw last November “just as the first sun opened up on the meadow full of thistles that he was standing in,” he says. “I thought the textures and complementary yellow/purple color harmony were intriguing, and very much wanted to paint it.”
Brad Rude, A Curious Path, bronze, ed. 1 of 6, 45 x 34 x 14 in.
The show and sale officially opens to the public at the museum on Saturday, September 7, with the signature event occurring on Thursday, September 12. The evening events on Thursday kick off with a reception at 5 p.m., and then followed by the intent-to-purchase sale and an awards presentation. Any remaining pieces will be on display both online and in-person from September 13 through 29 and will be available for purchase. —
2024 Western Visions Show + Sale
September 7-29, 2024
National Museum of Wildlife Art
2820 Rungius Road Jackson Hole, WY 83001
(307) 733-5771, www.wildlifeart.org
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