On March 21 and 22, March in Montana held its annual sale in Great Falls, Montana. After two sessions, the sale had achieved exceptional numbers: $2.9 million in sales with a 96 percent sell-through rate. “Western art is alive and thriving,” the auction house noted after the sale.
The sale featured works by both historic artists and living contemporary artists, although the historic artists held the top slots with Olaf C. Seltzer leading the charge. Seltzer’s Blackfoot Braves, estimated at $50,000 to $70,000, sold for $78,000. The work, which depicts Montana, shows two Native American riders amid a magnificent landscape scene.
Bidders during the 2025 March in Montana.
Another image with two Native American riders is Gerard Curtis Delano’s Canyon Couple, which sold for $66,000, nearly double the high estimate of $35,000. The sale featured several works from Charles M. Russell, including Portrait of Chief Joseph (est. $50/70,000) that sold for $60,000, Whitetail (est. $60/80,000) that sold for $52,275, and Scene on the Judith Roundup, Bucking Broncho (est. $30/50,000) that finished at $48,000.
Olaf C. Seltzer (1877-1957), Blackfoot Braves, oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in. Estimate: $50/70,000 SOLD: $78,000
The sale featured a number of works from Alaska, one of which was Sydney Laurence’s Mt. McKinley. The piece was the sale’s cover lot from the catalog. It sold for $58,000, launching over its $35,000 high estimate.
Gerard Curtis Delano (1890-1972), Canyon Couple, watercolor on paper, 18 x 24 in. Estimate: $25/35,000 SOLD: $66,000
Contemporary artists with active bidders include Joe Kronenberg, Don Oelze, Charles Fritz, R. Tom Gilleon, Brooke Wetzel and many others. “The contemporary Western art market also saw outstanding responses. Don Oelze, Joe Kronenberg, Colt Idol and Rachel Brownlee all had exceptional showings, with their works exceeding high estimates and proving the growing demand for modern interpretations of the Western experience,” notes auction co-owner Ron Nicklas.
Artists Ken Yarus, left, Abi Gutting, Jessica Bryant and Coeur d’Alene Gallery manager Buddy Le.
March in Montana is already fast at work preparing for the 2026 sale. —
Top 10 Lots March on Montana
March 21-22, 2025 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist Title Low/High Est. SOLD
Olaf C. Seltzer Blackfoot Braves $50/70,000 $78,000
Gerard Curtis Delano Canyon Couple $25/35,000 $66,000
Charles M. Russell Portrait of Chief Joseph $50/70,000 $60,000
Sydney Laurence Mt. McKinley $25/35,000 $58,425
Joe Kronenberg Hands $15/25,000 $51,000
Charles M. Russell Scene on the Judith Roundup… $30/50,000 $48,000
Charles M. Russell Untitled Portrait $50/70,000 $48,000
Don Oelze From the Bluffs They Watch $15/25,000 $39,000
- Visalia Stock Saddle $15/25,000 $36,900
Oleg Stavrowsky Leaders Know the Way $15/25,000 $36,000
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