Show Preview | Young Guns Art Show & Reception

Now in its 13th year, the Young Guns Art Show & Reception has established itself as one of the most dynamic evenings of the series of events tied to the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale. Designed to spotlight emerging and mid-career artists, the show attracts younger collectors and professionals eager to see how contemporary voices are reshaping the traditions of the American West.

This year, 37 artists from across the country who create creating oil paintings, sculptures and mixed media works are included in the December 18 event. For curator Kate Hlavin, the strength of the exhibition lies in both its range and its energy. “We look for artists who are making interesting work and have momentum with their careers,” she explains. “I find all the artwork to be refreshing and exciting.”

Among the standouts she notes are Laura Donavan, Jonathan Noon, Lauren Florence and Daniel Falcón. “I can’t wait to see the body of work each of the artists has created for this fantastic show,” Hlavin says. With more than 500 guests expected on opening night, the event has become a must-attend for collectors seeking both fresh talent and approachable price points. Works are all priced under $10,000, with an average around $2,000. “It’s a great way for collectors to learn about Western art and start their collections,” she adds.

The featured artist for 2025 is Texas painter and rancher Alice Leese, whose deep connection to the land has informed her work for more than four decades. Leese describes the honor as both humbling and affirming: “It means I may be on a good artistic track as far as my work goes. Maybe they see where I’m going with my work as far as producing new ideas and [the] execution of those ideas.”

Her five works in the show range from nocturnes inspired by the vast night skies of the Chihuahuan Desert to a sweeping 48-by-60-inch ranch scene depicting a cowboy trailing Hereford cattle. “The land is big in this painting and the cowboys are small,” she says. “I’m trying to show that nature is in charge and we are just working along with it and in it.” Other works draw on her memories of night hunts, her fascination with the images from the James Webb Space Telescope, and the daily rhythms of ranch life.

As a fourth-generation rancher, Leese sees her role as both storyteller and steward. “Ranchers are all about the land; we speak for the grass, soil, water and air,” she reflects. “A ranching artist is the best of both worlds—we get to tell the stories of ranchers and ranching in creative ways.”

Like the larger Coors exhibit, Young Guns also carries a philanthropic mission with proceeds benefitting the National Western Scholarship Trust. For collectors and artists, the event offers the chance to participate in something larger than a single night of art.

“Every year, the show is different, which makes it exciting,” says Hlavin. With more than 400 works available and proxy bidding offered online, the Young Guns Art Show & Reception continues to serve as both a showcase of what’s next in Western art and a celebration of the community that sustains it. —Doreen Manning

contact informationcoorswesternart.com/young-guns

This story appeared in the December 2025/January 2026 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Subscribe today to read every issue in its entirety.

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