Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ March 22-September 1
Coinciding with spring’s arrival, the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona, opens its annual show and top fundraiser, Cowgirl Up! Art From the Other Half of the West, from March 22 to 24 this year. Now celebrating its 19th edition, Cowgirl Up! showcases works created exclusively by women artists depicting a Western theme.
“We’re thrilled to highlight and shine a spotlight on women artists,” enthuses Mary Ann Igna, the museum’s deputy director and chief curator. The 300 or so standout pieces on display, including 125-plus miniatures, offer a diverse array of techniques, styles and mediums employed by the 65 participating artists.
According to Igna, “We start from scratch every year, guaranteeing a slot in the current exhibit to a single artist only—the winner of the previous year’s Director’s Choice Award.” This year, a jury committee made selections from about 250 applicants; in total, six artists have appeared in all 19 shows and 14 new artists were invited for 2024.
These include Choctaw artist Karen Clarkson, imparting a refined presence in her softly toned, classically composed portrait of a Miss Navajo Nation contestant in DINÉ ROYALTY; Georgia Rowswell, whose fiber art landscape THUNDERHEAD OFF HAPPY JACK ROAD bursts with the exhilarating drama of a towering cloud formation; and Dolores Purdy, whose brightly colored contemporary ledger art piece BEAUTIFUL MORNING depicts a Caddo woman welcoming the rising sun. “The grace and beauty of the lady, the flowers and the day are to allow one to appreciate the beauty of nature,” says Purdy.
The show’s opening weekend commences Friday, March 22, with several artist-only activities, an afternoon Sponsor’s Sneak Peek and ensuing public preview at 2 p.m. Also at that time is a lecture held at the museum’s Cultural Crossroads Learning Center. On Saturday, March 23, the larger-works main sale and miniatures sale auctions take place later in the day. Carried out traditionally by box draw, this year both sales will be by silent auction instead. It’s a means, says Igna, “to shake things up a bit. It should be very exciting, especially for the miniatures.”
That evening, ticketed guests can gather under the large outdoor tent set up for cocktails, dinner and, following the final auction, a dance party from 7 to 10 p.m. On Sunday, culminating events include breakfast and a 90-minute open-air Quick Draw with at least two dozen participating artists. Directly following is a live auction of the newly created pieces.
The diverse selection of paintings, sculptures and mixed media works from the main exhibition remains on view at the museum through September 1. As Igna explains, “One of our primary goals is to broaden the narrative of Western art.” That occurs through such riveting show pieces as IT WAS A LAZY DAY, by Mejo Okon, and the crisply rendered floral AJO LILY, HAVASU NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, AZ, by Dyana Hesson. Equally compelling is Liz Wolf’s quiet albeit robust bronze THE HEALER. Says Wolf of this piece, “The medicine bundle, adorning his back, represents the endless joy and magic that horses have brought to our lives. They fuel our souls.” —Christine Proskow
contact information(928) 684-2272westernmuseum.org
This story appeared in the February/March 2024 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Subscribe today to read every issue in its entirety.
The post Show Preview | Cowgirl Up! appeared first on Southwest Art Magazine.