The Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum’s 46th annual Western Art Show & Sale, is a celebrated and premier exhibit featuring more than 200 original works from roughly 50 nationally recognized Western artists. The exhibition will open on July 17, offering attendees the chance to appreciate and purchase exceptional artworks that depict the spirit and enduring draw of the West.
The show begins with an opening reception on Thursday, July 16, from 3 to 10 p.m. Guests will have a first look at the artworks included in the 2026 exhibition. Throughout the evening, guests will experience a cocktail reception at the Wyoming Governor’s Mansion and a dinner at the museum, along with the opportunity to purchase artwork and mingle with participating artists.
Danielle Kirby, Gilded Halls, oil, 24 x 36 in.
This year, the show features mediums ranging from paintings and sculpture to mixed media and drawings from top talents in the Western art world such as sculptor Chris Navarro, Cowboy Artists of America member Brandon Bailey and contemporary acrylic artist Daniel Hachard, among others.
One of the artists participating in this year’s show is painter Lee Alban, who is bringing a dynamic wildlife painting. “Salmon Runfocuses on a majestic grizzly as it catches a salmon during their seasonal reproductive migration. The inspiration for this painting came from the bright red color of the breeding fish and the challenge of creating an illusion of wet fur, matted and dripping water. To emphasize these characteristics, I chose a close-up view, allowing me to paint realistic details. Unusual this year is the opportunity for this painting to be offered for purchase by silent auction.”
Jack Olson, Big Boy Comin Through, oil, 20 x 16 in.
Another artist featured in the show is Jack Olson, whose painting is an ode to the infrastructure that built the West. “My inspiration for Big Boy Comin Through, is the largest steam engine ever built, which is called the Big Boy, housed in the roundhouse at the railroad depot in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The engine is one of only eight in known existence,” Olson says, adding that he encountered it after a snowstorm while it was coming through a crossing. “The lighting was very dramatic. I decided to paint it in black and white for the drama it created.”
Chris Navarro, Medicine Dog Warrior, bronze
In addition, Navarro’s Medicine Dog Warrior is a bronze sculpture of a bucking horse painted with symbols of combat and success that glow and give the piece a “mystical presence.”
“When Native tribes encountered the horse, they [were] in awe of the animal’s speed and power,” says Navarro. “With the dog as their first domesticated companion and work animal carrying packs and small travois, the Indians discovered one horse could carry the load of seven dogs and considered him a great medicine dog symbolizing its sacred role in their lives. Horses meant power, wealth and survival. To paint a horse for battle or a buffalo hunt was a sacred act.”
Each year, the art show has a theme for that year’s rodeo. “For 2026, they are celebrating the Year of the American Indian and of course, the whole country is celebrating 250 years of America. This year a lot of the artists were inspired by those themes,” says Amanda Marshall, CFD art show coordinator.
Lee Alban, Salmon Run, oil on panel, 18 x 24 in.
The show runs through August 9. —
Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show & Sale
Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum
4610 Carey Avenue Cheyenne, WY 82001
(307) 778-7290 www.oldwestmuseum.org
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