Both locals and visitors to Prescott, Arizona, always have something big to look forward to over Memorial Day weekend. Returning to the Grand Canyon State is the 52nd annual Phippen Western Art Show & Sale,which brings in both serious collectors and casual art fans from across the country for a weekend celebration of contemporary Western art at the historic Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza in downtown Prescott. This year’s event features more than 90 artists from all around the West, each offering visitors the chance to view original works of Western art and chat with the artists themselves.
Sarah Phippen, One Man Crew, oil. First Place Oil at the 2025 Western Art Show & Sale.
“Overall, it feels like this event continues to grow while still honoring the traditions people love most about the Phippen’s Western Art Show & Sale,” says Edd Kellerman, executive director of the Phippen Museum, which hosts the event. “And there is a wonderful balance of returning artists and new voices this year, which should make this outdoor art exhibition feel both familiar and exciting for longtime devotees and new visitors.”
Dale Martin, Looking for Shade, pastel. First Place Pastel at the 2025 Western Art Show & Sale.
Artists exhibiting at the 2026 show include Karen Clarkson, Larry Yazzie, Mark Oberkirsch, Jess Hough, Tamara Magdalina, Chloe Duncan, James Lee and Gerry Groeber, to name a few. And the mediums represented are diverse: oil, acrylic, mixed media, watercolor, pastel, sculpture, photography and drawing.
Visitors explore artwork on the paths of Courthouse Plaza at last year’s event.
“One thing that really stands out to me this year is the range of Western art that will be presented,” Kellerman says. “There is a great mix of traditional subjects like wildlife, landscapes and figurative Western scenes, but many artists are approaching those themes with fresh compositions and really beautiful color choices. The quality of the oil paintings in particular feels especially strong this year, but there is a lot of care and craftsmanship across the board in eight different mediums.”
Bill Anton, left, Ken Rowe and John Coleman at the 2025 Phippen Western Art Show & Sale.
A fan favorite each year are the quickdraw challenges, where artists race against the clock to create a finished piece of artwork in just 60 minutes, followed immediately by a live art auction while the paint’s still wet. The quickdraws will take place on Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24, both at 2 p.m. on the Courthouse Plaza steps.
The awards ceremony takes place on the courthouse steps on May 24 at 11 a.m. The Phippen Western Art Show & Sale runs from May 23 to 25, with free admission all three days. —
Phippen Western Art Show & Sale
May 23-25, 2026
Phippen Museum
4701 Highway 89 North
Prescott, AZ 86301, (928) 778-1385
www.phippenartmuseum.org
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