Now in its 19th year, the Jackson Hole Art Auction is celebrating with not only a huge lineup of artwork for the annual September sale, but also three stunning single-owner collections that will be offered to bidders.
The auction house is also marking a new era after it was purchased in May by a new ownership group that includes Fighting Bear Antiques owner Terry Winchell, investor and art collector Keith Ohnmeis, and investor and business executive Phil Harrington. Working closely with the new owners is Denver-based art advisor Kate Hlavin, who also serves as curator of the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale.
Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), Start of the Roundup, 1898, watercolor on paper, 14½ x 20½ in. Estimate: $180/250,000We feel very good about the auction and the market, and I’m looking forward to this year’s sale. One of the things that will be different than before is that we live here in Wyoming. We’re on the ground, interacting with the art world here on a day-to-day basis,” Winchell says. “Looking past this upcoming sale, we do want to broaden our horizons in several ways. I do see a lot more Native American artwork coming to the sale, as well as more work in that popular contemporary style. We’re very open to where the art leads us.”
Melvin Warren (1920-1995), The Last of His Kind, 1979, oil on canvas, 36 x 60 in. Estimate: $80/120,000Winchell also notes that the auction will focus on the national, regional and local art market around Jackson Hole. “Things like the Yellowstone TV show have brought excitement to Jackson. We see a lot more cowboy boots and turquoise jewelry being worn, so we want to reach out to the people who live here in Jackson,” he adds. “One way we want to reach out to the people in the region is to show them the work. Many auctions will only preview the art for several days or weeks. We can hang artwork for months at a time, which will allow summer visitors and locals to come in and look at it.”
William R. Leigh (1866-1955), Grizzly’s End, 1948, oil on canvas, 25 x 40 in. Estimate: $300/500,000The auction’s managing director, Kevin Doyle, says the sale has a massive selection of material available to bidders—around 430 lots, which is nearly 100 more lots than the 2024 sale. “It’s a beast of a catalog. The material, by lot and value, is huge,” he says. “It’s also a more diverse collection of material. In past years, wildlife has been the dominant genre, but Western subjects are the frontrunners this year. Collectors will see a lot of different kinds of material in the sale."
Gerard Curtis Delano (1890-1972), The Colorful People, oil on canvas panel, 26 x 32 in. Estimate: $80/120,000
The three collections being offered within the sale are Titans of the American West from KSA Industries, Inc: A Bud Adams Company, featuring art acquired for the corporate collection of Adams who owned the Tennessee Titans NFL team; the Collection of John D. Rockefeller IV & Sharon P. Rockefeller, made up of paintings acquired by the former Senator from West Virginia and his wife; and art and objects from the Estate of H.B. “Tony” Turner, a prominent collector from Arizona.
Tom Lovell (1909-1997), Watering Horses, 1992, oil on canvas, 26 x 36 in. Estimate: $150/250,000
William Herbert “Buck” Dunton (1878-1936), The Stagecoach Robbery, 1909, oil on canvas, 21 x 33 in. Estimate: $20/40,000
G. Harvey (1933-2017), When Cowboys Move On, 1986, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in. Estimate: $100/200,000
While there are gems in all three collections—especially Gerard Curtis Delano’s The Colorful People (est. $80/120,000) from the Rockefeller collection—the Titans of the American West material should thrill collectors. Adams, who was the founder and owner of the Houston Oilers before the team moved to Tennessee and became the Titans, died in 2013 and willed the bulk of his private collection to the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. This corporate collection being offered has paintings by John Cowan, Peter Hurd, Kenneth Riley, Roy Andersen, Joseph Henry Sharp, Eanger Irving Couse, E. Martin Hennings, O.C. Seltzer and many others. Other highlights from the Adams collection are Charles M. Russell’s watercolor Start of the Roundup (est. $180/250,000), E. Martin Hennings’ Homeward Bound (Sunset Near Taos) (est. $150/250,000), William R. Leigh’s Grizzly’s End (est. $300/500,000), Melvin Warren’s The Last of His Kind (est. $80/120,000) and two stellar Tom Lovell paintings, The Earth House People (est. $75/125,000) and Watering Horses (est. $150/250,000).
Carl Rungius (1869-1959), Pronghorn Antelope, oil on canvas, 29¼ x 46 in. Estimate: $200/300,000The Turner collection will feature works by Eanger Irving Couse, Leigh’s Meeting at the Loom (est. $30/50,000) and William Herbert “Buck” Dunton’s The Stagecoach Robbery (est. $20/40,000). In the auction catalog, noted Dunton scholar Michael Grauer writes the entry on The Stagecoach Robbery and compares it to Russell’s 1899 painting The Hold-Up. “Both artists in their respective stagecoach robbery paintings ‘involve[d] us in whatever drama is ostensibly the picture’s subject and to elicit our identification with those who helplessly watch.’ This theatricality would later serve Dunton well in his mature work in Taos,” Grauer writes while also quoting author Joan Carpenter Troccoli. “Dunton painted a number of stagecoach scenes during his career. However, he typically depicted lawmen inspecting a coach; the arrival of a stage in town; or stage drivers and guards doing their duty. Dunton’s Stagecoach Robberyis a rare example of him portraying outlaws.”
E. Martin Hennings (1886-1956), Homeward Bound (Sunset Near Taos), oil on canvas, 30 x 30 in. Estimate: $150/250,000
Bob Kuhn (1920-2007), Prime Time, acrylic on board, 13¾ x 17¾ in. Estimate: $80/120,000
Elsewhere in the sale is G. Harvey’s rain-slicked town scene with oil derricks, When Cowboys Move On (est. $100/200,000); Carl Rungius’ Pronghorn Antelope (est. $200/300,000); Bob Kuhn’s Prime Time (est. $80/120,000); and Paul Pletka’s grouping of figures, Pentetetuch (est. $40/60,000).
The sale will take place during one session on September 13 at the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts. Bidding will take place on three platforms with Jason Brooks serving as the auctioneer. A preview of material will be available at the auction house’s headquarters on the Jackson Hole Town Square. —
Jackson Hole Art Auction
September 13, 2025
Center for the Arts
240 S. Glenwood Street, Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 734-9739 www.jacksonholeartauction.com
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