Prior to the opening of the 43rd Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale’s Live Auction Gallery, a  carefully selected panel of judges studied the 104 two-dimensional and three-dimensional works in the  exhibition. The judges ultimately selected eight artists whose pieces best reflect the mission of  the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale (BBAS) and represent exceptional craft and quality. The  judges announced these eight winners during the opening reception of the gallery held on Friday, Aug. 16. 

A committee invites judges who represent three distinct categories within the art world, namely:  art history and scholarship, art business, and private collection. This year, the three judges  selected were Kendra Heimbuck, executive director at The Brinton Museum, Big Horn, Susan Potje, director of the Celebration of Fine Art, Scottsdale, Arizona, and Scott Leinen of Omaha, an art collector and patron of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale. 

BBAS limits the number of contemporary Western artists invited each year; the 2024 lineup  features 104 artists, all of whom represent a high caliber of artistic knowledge and execution. These artists’ major works are available to view in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West until the  Live Auction commences on Friday, Sept. 20. 

Spirit of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale Award 

This award recognizes the artwork that is most representative of the Buffalo Bill Art Show &  Sale in terms of location, history, and the grandeur embodied by the “spirit” of the American  West. The judges awarded this honor to “High Noon,” a 30- by 26-inch oil painting by Ralph  Oberg. The painting depicts the arid Wyoming landscape and several pronghorn antelope in the noonday sun.

Potje remarked that Oberg “truly captures the vast open space of the American West,”  complimenting the artist’s composition which “draws your eye across the entire canvas,” as well  as the palette in the sagebrush and the sky. 

Heimbuck agreed, saying that “your eye is drawn from the hyper-focused realistic rendering of  the foreground and primary subject and moves smoothly through each figure to the soft  landscape and bluffs in the back of the image. The soft tones of the color palette are a perfect  complement to the iconic pronghorn and the setting.” 

Leinen called the painting “a true snapshot of the Spirit of the West and the Wyoming landscape.  The muted colors of the sage, cactus and brush complement the beautiful sky and the well arranged pronghorn.” 

BBAS would like to thank The Collier Group for the generous sponsorship of this award’s prize  money. 

Two-Dimensional Award 

The judges selected “Blue Chair” by Stephanie Hartshorn as the best in show for two dimensional artwork. Hartshorn’s oil painting is 18 by 36 inches and depicts a weathered  building with a sign that reads “Waltman Store.” 

Heimbuck said “Stephanie captures a despondent, yet true reality of the rural West. Through her  impressionist style, she masterfully encapsulates a scene which we’ve all passed by and may not  have paid close attention to.” 

Leinen commented that “if you’ve spent any time driving through rural areas, you’ve passed this  scene before. This painting is not just representative of the West, but rural America as a whole.  There is a tinge of sadness or melancholy as I view the painting … and good artwork often  leaves you affected in one way or another.” 

Potje observed “Stephanie captures an iconic rural setting that evokes strong emotions. Her signature style, crisp composition and command of her palette work together for a fabulous piece. The title, ‘Blue Chair’, invites the viewer to take a closer look.” 

Three-Dimensional Award 

The judges selected “Home is Where You Find It” by Stefan Savides as the three-dimensional  best in show. Savides’ piece is a bronze that measures 11 by 15 by 13 inches. The artist’s subject  matter is a mother hen and four chicks, nestled tightly inside a crumpled metal bucket. Stefan  Savides is participating in the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale for the first time in 2024. 

Leinen said “sometimes artwork just makes you smile, and this sculpture did that for me.  Growing up in rural Iowa, I can identify with this scene!” He praised Savides’ artistry, saying  “the use of the trampled bucket as the new home for the hen and her chicks was very clever. The  bucket was extremely well done from the handle and the rivets to the striping around the top — the design was perfect.”

Potje stated “Stefan captures the warmth and whimsy of the mama hen making a home for her  chicks in the unlikely, but functional vessel. He captures the texture of the pail and the feeling of  family.” The sculpture is “technically excellent and artistically brilliant,” she added. 

Heimbuck noted, “this piece tells the important story of a mother hen and the feminine instinct  that is alive and important in the West. Savides carried this piece out so well, rendering the  nesting mother hen and her chicks in a familiar crushed bucket that has come to the end of life on  the ranch.” 

Judges’ Awards of Excellence 

As a mark of the overall quality of the 43rd Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, the judges felt  it necessary to present five additional Awards of Excellence. They felt the following pieces  required recognition for their design, execution, and embodying of the Western spirit: 

Ty Barhaug, “Lighting the Valley Floor,” Oil, 9 x 35 inches 

David Dibble, “The Things We’ve Handed Down,” Oil, 37 x 45 inches 

Chad Poppleton, “Evening Finale,” Oil, 24 x 36 inches 

Paul Rhymer, “Night Moves,” Bronze, 28 x 18 x 18 inches 

Skip Whitcomb, “Spring Ritual,” Oil, 14 x 18 inches.