Olaf C. Seltzer (1877-1957), Herd Bull, oil on board, 16 x 22¾ in. Estimate: $20/30,000

Consider March in Montana, the annual auction and dealer show, which offers a considerable number of paintings and sculptures, and yet also frequently offers historical objects, 19th-century weapons, silver parade saddles and many Native American materials, such as pottery and weavings. “We are always aiming for that diversity when it comes to materials,” says auction partner Ron Nicklas. “This year you will see some of those great items we normally bring, including some new ones, like a signed note from George Washington, nine of the finest Kentucky flintlock longrifles to hit the market in a long time, and then lots of other historic material from Native American artists. It’s always exciting to see what sellers bring us.”

Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), Range Father, bronze, ed. of 14, 5¼ x 15¼ x 4½ in. Estimate: $20/30,000

This year’s March in Montana, the 39th annual show, kicks off on March 19 and runs through March 21 in Great Falls, Montana. The show has two elements: a dealer show on March 19 and 20, and a live auction on March 20 and 21. Both offer great opportunities to expand one’s art collection. The whole event coincides with Western Art Week, the annual celebration timed around Charles M. Russell’s March 19 birthday. This year marks 162 years since the famous artist’s birth. 

Abigail Gutting, The Edge of Winter, oil on Belgian linen, 40 x 30 in. Estimate: $10/15,000

Nicklas says the auction will have around 725 lots spread out over two 11 a.m. sessions. The sale will be held in the Great Falls Elks Lodge, No. 214, which was Russell’s lodge during his lifetime. “The building is different, but the spirit of Russell is in the sale,” Nicklas adds. One of the lots being offered is Russell’s Range Father, a bronze showing an aggressive horse defensively (or maybe offensively) nipping at a wolf. The sculpture is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. Only 14 were cast. “The consigner turned up with the bronze and had no idea what he had. We figured it for a recast, but then he showed us a letter from [Russell expert] Frederic Renner and a receipt. That conversation changed quickly.”

Kenneth Riley (1919-2015), Braves on Horses, oil on board, 38 x 40 in. Estimate: $20/30,000

Another work with ties to Great Falls is Herd Bull by Olaf C. Seltzer. The artist moved to Montana in 1897 at 19 years old and met Russell not long after. The two became fast friends and Seltzer was as close to a student of Russell as anyone would become. Herd Bull is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000.

William Standing (Assiniboine, 1904-1951), On the Defense, oil on board, 18 x 21 in. Estimate: $4/6,000

One returning artist in the auction is Abigail Gutting, who has had success in the sale and dealer show. She has submitted The Edge of Winter into the sale. The work, estimated at $10,000 to $15,000, shows two bison near a thermal vent, similar to ones seen belching steam and water in Yellowstone National Park. “Most artists hate to watch their art sell at auction, but not Gutting,” says Nicklas. “She’s such a wonderful and unusual artist because when it comes to these kinds of auctions, she loves them. She loves having the market step in to decide what a piece is worth. It’s instant feedback. A lot of artists are petrified of this, but not her.”

Bob Kuhn (1920-2007), Cheetah on a Kill, acrylic on board, 18 x 26 in. Estimate: $50/75,000

A noteworthy cast of Frederic Remington’s The Broncho Buster will be available with estimates of $40,000 to $60,000. The Roman Bronze Works cast is marked as No. 182 (out of 276 official casts at that size). That edition of the famous bronze was listed as “unlocated” in the 1996 book Icons of the West: Frederic Remington’s Sculpture, although it turned up after the book’s release, in 2009. It was likely cast in 1917. The piece is coming from a collection in Belgium. “It’s not a lifetime cast, but it is a really nice cast that we’re very excited to have,” Nicklas says. 

Don Oelze, Dusk at Elkhorn Camp, oil on canvas, 44 x 44 in. Estimate: $25/35,000

The sale will also include a collection of paintings by Assiniboine artist William Standing. One of them is On the Defense, estimated at $4,000 to $6,000. In 2020, March in Montana set the world auction record for Standing at $118,000. “We have the coolest batch of Standing paintings—nine of them in all. They come from a collection out of Washington, D.C. The original owner worked with the U.S. government and Native American tribes in the 1920s. Standing was her interpreter, so she worked directly with him,” the auction partner says. “After our auction record with Standing, we have really built a lot of room there to show his work which is exciting.”

Luke Frazier, Moonrise Gathering, oil on canvas, 38 x 27 in. Estimate: $20/30,000

Luke Frazier will have work available, as will Don Oelze, who will have at least two lots up for grabs, including Dusk at Elkhorn Camp (est. $25/35,000). Also in the sale is Bob Kuhn’s African painting Cheetah on a Kill (est. $50/75,000) and Kenneth Riley’s Braves on Horses (est. $20/30,000). Both the Kuhn and Riley lots come from the Yturria Collection out of Brownsville, Texas. 

Frederic Remington (1861-1909), The Broncho Buster, bronze, cast No. 182, 22¾ x 19 x 12 in. Estimate: $40/60,000

Nicklas says he and his team are moving into their annual sale feeling very positive about the Western art market, even as other art markets dip in an unsteady economy. “There is some apprehension in the market right now due to so much happening in the world, but we just keep moving along. We feel very optimistic,” he says. “I think we’re seeing some good signs already, including numerous people who have reached out early for catalogs and others who are asking us to hold them seats. Those are things we like to hear.”

Third Phase Navajo Chief’s Blanket with classic layout of diamond, half diamond and quarter diamond designs, along with the dark brown and ivory broad stripes, ca. 1930, woven from all Native churro cross sheep wools on a wool warp, 65 x 52 in. Estimate: $3,500/4,500

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