Welcome to the December issue of Western Art Collector! Around these parts, in Scottsdale, Arizona, we study the West every day at work and play. We are surrounded by experts giving us insight, via phone conversations, studio visits, podcast episodes, interviews and email exchanges. We are at the epicenter of Western art. Whether it’s an artist relating the story of their painting or a collector telling the story of why they bought the painting—this is history we absorb and appreciate daily. A cowboy is a cowboy is a cowboy, whether painted far in the past or just yesterday with a clear vision of the role these present-day figures play in our culture. The work can be painted in geometric abstraction, or in an illustrative style with bright colors, or as an impressionist work with loose brushwork—it all resonates in a big way. This December we give the limelight to the art of the cowboy in our popular annual special section. In addition, there are more than 10 gallery and museum openings this month and we invite you to check out every one. You can attend them all online to a certain degree, but we encourage you to attend at least one in person. It’s part of our holiday tradition. This issue is full of great Western art and in December our focus is on the cowboy.
2026 is setting itself up to be a brilliant year for Western art. The twilight of 2025 is here with the holidays to celebrate. Buy a piece before the year ends for friends and family. Or just for yourself so you can keep the legacy of the West in your heart this holiday season.
Finally, to the Western artists, thank you all for your wonderful work in 2025. The artwork we saw this year has been part of an amazing trail we rode on. Let’s continue to collect, preserve and paint the story!
Happy Holidays from the team at Western Art Collector! See you next year.
Wendie Martin and Adolfo Castillo
Publishers
P.S. This issue also includes our annual holiday gift guide. Our goal is to give you an opportunity to see what’s new in the Western art world. These gift options go beyond paintings and sculptures. Check it out starting on Page 59.
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