Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve, Bartlesville, OK October 18-December 31
In 1925, oilman Frank Phillips, cofounder (with his brother, Lee) of Phillips Petroleum, established Woolaroc, a wildlife preserve and museum of Western and Native art and artifacts, on 3,700 acres in Oklahoma’s Osage Hills, a pristine landscape of woodlands, lakes and rocks (hence its name, which borrows its syllables from all three words). Over the past century, Woolaroc has become one of the nation’s top Western museums. That status has more recently been distinguished by the prestige of the artists—typically some six to 10—invited to participate in its biennial fundraiser, The Woolaroc Exhibition & Sale, which began in 2013.
This year, to mark Woolaroc’s centennial, the event is taking a more epic turn. “We’re having a reunion-style show,” says Kevin Hoch, CEO of both the Frank Phillips Foundation and Woolaroc, “so we’ve invited back all of those artists who have participated over the past decade-plus.” That amounts to an exhibition featuring more than 120 works by 43 elite painters and sculptors, all of which can be viewed by the public when the museum’s doors open at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 18. The art goes on sale that evening through a ticketed drawing for those attending a gala cocktail reception. Art will remain on display through December 31.
Opening day also features presentations from two participating artists, one scheduled for the morning and the other in the afternoon. Although scheduling specifics were not yet available at press time, the presenters’ names alone make them must-see events. Renowned wildlife sculptor Tim Shinabarger will appear in conversation with Tony Schoonen, CEO of the Boone and Crockett Club, North America’s oldest wildlife conservation nonprofit organization, co-founded in 1887 by Teddy Roosevelt. And versatile modern master Quang Ho—whose subjects range from still life to landscape, wildlife to figurative, in expressive styles—will also offer a live painting demonstration.
In addition, the names of even a few of the other 41 participating artists, many of whom are also attending the opening weekend, suffice to draw serious Western art collectors. Take, for example, Thomas Blackshear II, whose brightly hued realist portraits of Black cowboys and Native Americans, such as NAVAJO MAN IN RED BLANKET, add contemporary vibrancy to traditional subjects. Jane DeDecker’s bronze FINDING CALM presents a saddled steed in repose, rendered with accuracy and dignity recalling works by Frederic Remington. The epic A VIEW FROM COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT by Daniel Sprick speaks to his unerring eye for West’s grandeur; while still lifes like Nancy Guzik’s FRUIT AND GOLDEN PANSIES or Sherrie McGraw’s GRAPES ON THE VINE capture smaller scale, but no less significant pleasures.
Indeed, in its stellar participants and their matchless works, this milestone event for the Woolaroc is unparalleled in quality and scope. “Our other shows were good, don’t get me wrong,” says Hoch. “But this is a signature event that should be on every Western art lover’s calendar.” —Norman Kolpas
contact information(918) 336-0307woolaroc.org
This story appeared in the October/November 2025 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Subscribe today to read every issue in its entirety.
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