Dallas-based Heritage Auctions is celebrating Western art with a series of events and sales from November 3 to 7 at its Texas headquarters. Dubbed Western Art Week, the celebration will shine a light on Heritage’s deep appreciation for art of the American West.
William R. Leigh (1866-1955), Rabbit Hunt, 1944, oil on canvas, 16 x 26 in. Estimate: $120/180,000
Heritage’s Western specialist, Alissa Ford, says the auction house has been a longtime supporter of the genre, through the highs and lows of the market. “The Western market is evolving, and I’m excited that we can be pushing that. It’s not what it used to be; Western art encompasses a bigger narrative of the West,” she says, adding that Heritage’s sales offer traditional Western art and more contemporary, boundary-pushing art. She specifically mentions the work of Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai artist who worked in more modern and non-representational styles. “She and others are very much continuing the story of the West through their work, and those are important stories for us to tell. The West is not just Remington anymore. It’s really vital to talk about the artists who are still emerging.”
Sales during the special week of programming include Ethnographic Art: Property from an Important New York Collection and the mixed-consigner Ethnographic Art sale, both on November 6. On November 7, the auction house will host Texas Art, a semi-regular auction of material from the Lone Star State. The centerpiece of the week, though, is the November 7 sale Western Art: Visions of the American Frontier Signature Auction.It will feature more than 300 lots, 100 of them will be live with the remainder of the works available in an online-only sale.
Ed Mell (1942-2024), Renewal, 2001, oil on canvas, 22 x 30 in. Estimate: $40/60,000
Highlights from the main Western sale include William R. Leigh’s 1944 painting Rabbit Hunt, with estimates of $120,000 to $180,000. The painting shows two Native American figures on horseback, both done in Leigh’s kinetic painting style that accentuates movement and action. Another key work is G. Harvey’s The Blowout, which also has an estimate of $120,000 to $180,000. On the Harvey, the catalog notes, “The Blowout exemplifies G. Harvey’s lifelong achievement: capturing the soul of the American West while acknowledging the inevitable march of progress. Through his careful balance of light, movement and symbolism, Harvey reminds us that history is not static; it is lived, remembered and continually reshaped by change. His work honors the resilience of the cowboy and the pioneer spirit, even as it recognizes the forces of modernization that transformed their world. By blending nostalgia with realism, Harvey ensures that the stories of Texas and the frontier endure not as fading legends but as vital parts of America’s cultural identity.”
The sale will also feature several works by the late Ed Mell, as many as nine bronzes by Dave McGary, several magnificent landscapes from Birger Sandzén and also works from martin Grelle, Carl Oscar Borg, Robert Lougheed, Bert Geer Phillips, Gustave Baumann, Fritz Scholder, Earl Biss, Peter Hurd, Billy Schenck and many others.
G. Harvey (1933-2017), The Blowout, 1980, oil on canvas, 60 x 40 in. Estimate: $120/180,000
Finally, one exceptionally rare work being offered is Alexander Phimister Proctor’s 1929 bronze Pioneer Mother. The 14-inch piece is the smaller version of a Proctor monument that once stood in Eugene, Oregon. The statue was toppled during protests in 2020. The small version may have only been cast one single time, which could mean that Heritage’s version is a one-of-one casting. No other version of the bronze have yet to be located. —
Western Art: Visions of the American Frontier Signature Auction
November 7, 2025
Heritage Auctions
2801 W. Airport Freeway, Dallas, TX 75261
(877) 437-4824, www.ha.com
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