New York City is a very hat-friendly city, but, generally speaking, not many cowboy hats. So when people wearing cowboy hats, tall Western-style boots and blue jeans started popping up—via subway, taxicab and bikeshare—in Manhattan in September 2024, it felt like a unique and wonderful moment for the West.
Mark Maggiori, Arizona Cannonball, oil, 30 x 43 in. The show that facilitated all those hats and boots, Far West, is returning in September, this time in Austin, Texas. The show’s hosts and organizers, Mark Maggiori and Petecia Le Fawnhawk, are proud of last year’s New York City show, but they are also looking forward to presenting Far West in Texas, a place where cowboy hats, boots and Western culture are a way of life for many.
The show, which will take place September 12 and 13, will feature a stunning selection of Western artists, each handpicked by Maggiori and Le Fawnhawk. While Western art is the common thread that runs through the artists, the group is also diverse, representing traditional Western art, Native American art, figurative and realism, abstraction and modern art, ledger art, photography and much more.
Glenn Dean, Sundown in the Saddle, oil, 16 x 16 in.
Artists include Teal Blake, Thomas Blackshear II, Amery Bohling, Chloé Marie, Sean Michael Chavez, Kevin Chupik, Taylor Crisp, Glenn Dean, Teresa Elliott, Whitney Gardner, Josh Gibson, Jeremy Lipking, Drew Macias, Roseta Santiago, GL Richardson, Kyle Polzin and Kim Wiggins. The show will also introduce new artists such as London-based Western musician Jack Browning, photographers Ben Christensen and Scott Slusher, and Native American painters Elwyn Shorthair (Navajo (Diné)), Ben Pease (Apsáalooke (Crow)/Tsitsistas (Northern Cheyenne)) and John Pepion (Blackfeet). Maggiori and Le Fawnhawk will both have new works in the show.
Teresa Elliott, Hill Country Bull, oil on linen, 38 x 42 in.
“I’m originally from Texas. My fort-building years were spent in Austin in the Hill Country, so I’m excited to be back. Personality wise, Texas fits us. It’s a little rebellious, a little raw and with authentic roots. Austin is also stylish, so it culturally aligns with Far West,” Le Fawnhawk says. “The show is also a risk, though. It’s not normally a collector’s destination. There are few art galleries, so it was difficult to find one where we could have the show. This Far West is definitely going to be an experiment. We want to draw people out to Austin for the event.”
Amery Bohling, Thread of Life, oil, 40 x 30 in.
Kim Wiggins, Saguaro Moon, oil, 30 x 40 in.
The show will be held at Preacher Gallery, but it’s being independently organized and presented by Maggiori and Le Fawnhawk. Tickets have already sold out, even prior to this issue’s press deadline. Response was overwhelming for both the collector’s night sale on September 12 and the public viewing event on September 13. Collectors are encouraged to visit the website in case additional tickets are released. For those who can’t get tickets but still want to bid on the art, there will be an absentee bidding system in place for the by-draw sale and a live auction component. Online bidding opens on August 13 and closes on September 8. More than 100 new works of art will be available.
Kevin Chupik, Golden West, acrylic on birch, 24 x 32 in.
In addition to the sale, Far West will feature live music from Theo Lawrence and Will Worden, and also Western lifestyle vendors, including hatmaker Nick Fouquet, jewelry from Red Rabbit Trading Co., silversmith Lyle Wright, Fraulein Boot Company, and clothing from Fort Lonesome.
“We want to have a 360-degree way of thinking. People can focus on buying the art, or they can get a nice piece of jewelry or a hat or a pait of boots. We will also have a pop-up show of some vintage clothing from a private collection,” Maggiori says. “And then with the music and everything else, we want it to feel super high-end, a whole experience.”
Roseta Santiago, Sizing Up the Situation, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 in.
Maggiori, who is no stranger to capacity events, estimates more than 1,000 people will see the show. At his solo show at Legacy Gallery in March 2023 and Far West in 2024, there were lines down the street to get in. “We always push those capacity restrictions as far as we can because we know people want to see the work,” he says.
Maggiori and Le Fawnhawk both note that the show is meant to have a different vibe from other Western events. That’s by design. “We want to elevate a new generation of Western art, and also promote and uplift these great artists,” Le Fawnhawk says. “We will focus on continuing the legacy of Western art and the culture. There is a need for these kinds of events.” —
GL Richardson, Coltrane, oil on panel, 30 x 30 in.
Preacher Gallery 205 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 110 » Austin, TX 78704 » www.thefarwestshow.com
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