The popular event known as the Bighorn Rendezvous, hosted by the Brinton Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming, celebrates the richness and evolving story of the contemporary American West.
The mission behind the annual event is to build meaningful relationships with contemporary Western artists, while also creating opportunities for patrons and visitors to engage directly with the artistic process.
Blake Neubert, End of Day, acrylic, 24 x 24 in.
“Through the exhibition, quickdraw and auction events, guests are able to experience not only finished works of art, but also the creativity, interpretation and storytelling that goes into making them,” says Kendra Heimbuck, executive director at the museum. “Each artist brings a unique perspective to the West, and together their work creates a dynamic and multifaceted exploration of the region.” Collectors can expect to see a wide variety of artistic styles and mediums represented.
One of the biggest changes this year is the introduction of the new First Look & Sale event on Friday, July 31, which is an evening reception that offers collectors and museum patrons the opportunity to preview the exhibition before it opens to the general public. The museum also presents the Spirit of the Bighorns award, which serves as the exhibition’s best-in-show honor. Traditionally, the quickdraw activities took place at the conclusion of the exhibition, but this year the schedule has been shifted so that activities now open the exhibition.
Jacqueline Jones, Wildflower Passage, oil, 12 x 24 in.
Programming continues on Saturday, August 1, with the quickdraw, art auction and brunch, “one of the most unique and engaging aspects of the Bighorn Rendezvous,” says Heimbuck. “During the quickdraw, participating artists spread out across the historic Quarter Circle A Ranch and surrounding grounds of the Brinton Museum to create an original work of art in just a few hours. Guests are encouraged to walk the property, observe artists at work, ask questions and gain insight into each artist’s process...”
The entirety of the exhibition will feature 17 artists, each presenting up to two works in the gallery exhibition available for purchase. Every participating artist will create a new piece during the live quickdraw event, with those freshly completed works auctioned later that same day.
Michael Ome Untiedt, Morality Trail, oil on linen panel, 12 x 16 in.
Keep an eye out for paintings like End of Day by Blake Neubert, who says that the piece—depicting a cowboy and horse set against a sky of cartoon-like clouds—grew out of the ritual of observation. Clouds have long been the central protagonist in Neubert’s paintings. “I’m interested in capturing not only the physical appearance of the landscape, but also the emotional weight carried within changing light and weather,” says the artist. “In this piece, I intentionally juxtaposed a relatively realistic foreground with expansive, flattened cloud formations. That contrast allows the painting to oscillate between representation and abstraction, creating a space that feels both familiar and slightly dreamlike.”
Artist Michael Ome Untiedt, last year’s Best in Show winner for his painting The Gringos are Coming, offers his new painting Morality Trail at the 2026 event, addressing the division and turmoil we face today. Also featured is a strong roster of regional and nationally recognized artists that you don’t want to miss!
John Potter, Held by the Evening Light, oil, 11 x 14 in.
Additional details and ticket information is available at the museum website. The quickdraw is free and open to the public. Pieces will remain on view through September 21. —
Bighorn Rendezvous XI
July 31-September 21, 2026
The Brinton Museum
239 Brinton Road, Big Horn, WY 82833
(307) 672-3173 www.thebrintonmuseum.org
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