Great Falls, MT Elks Lodge, No. 214, March 21-23
This story was featured in the March/April 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art March/April 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
THE 32ND ANNUAL March in Montana auction returns to Great Falls, MT, this spring with the same strong offerings in western fine art, cowboy collectibles, Navajo textiles, and other Native American artifacts that have made it a favorite event during Western Art Week. The auction gets underway on Thursday, March 21, with a daylong dealer show and preview at Elks Lodge, No. 214. Previews continue on Friday and Saturday with live auctions commencing at 11 a.m. each day.
Formerly owned by Bob and Charla Nelson of Manitou Galleries in Cheyenne, WY, and Santa Fe, NM, the event now operates un-der the reins of Coeur d’Alene Galleries in partnership with the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction. “We took the perspective of, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” says auction partner Ron Nicklas, describing the approach they’ll take moving forward.
And so, in the tradition of previous March in Montana sales, western art enthusiasts can peruse an exciting trove of more than 700 lots, including works by early 19th-century masters like Olaf C. Seltzer. The Danish-born American painter, a lifelong friend and painting buddy of Charles M. Russell, captures the grueling nature of 19th-century, horse-drawn freight transportation in TRAIL OF THE DIAMOND R, GREAT DIVIDE, MONTANA. The masterwork—gifted to the outgoing president of the Great Falls Brewing Company in the late 1950s—is making its first public debut and is estimated to fetch up to $90,000.
Standout paintings and sculpture by other deceased greats like Ray Swanson and Harry Jackson are also sure to entice bidders. John Clymer’s blustery mountain scene of Indians foraging in the Pacific Northwest, entitled THE BERRY PICKERS, is “the largest Clymer we’ve ever offered,” says Nicklas. Measuring 36 by 48 inches, the oil is expected to garner between $8,000 and $12,000. Other iconic western scenes on the block include a depiction of two happy-go-lucky fishermen by magazine illustrator Joseph Kernan (1879-1958). The oil, which graced the August 1944 cover of Outdoor Life Magazine, is estimated to sell for $10,000-$15,000.
As in years past, the sale also features works by sought-after contemporary western artists, including Brent Cotton, Mark Maggiori, Kyle Polzin, Tucker Smith, and Andy Thomas. And auction goers will want to take note of several up-and-coming talents like Jennifer Johnson and Jason Lohmeier. “Their price points are reasonable,” notes Nicklas, “but we feel they are really great artists with bright futures.” —Kim Agricola
contact information208.664.2091www.marchinmontana.com
This story was featured in the March/April 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art March/April 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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