Western Rendezvous of Art, 2005

The Western Rendezvous of Art is a benefit for the Montana Historical Society and the Helena Civic Center Board. Proceeds from the event are split between the two nonprofit organizations. For a formal newspaper story go to http://www.helenair.com/articles/2005/08/23/helena/a01082305_03 txt

For the website of the show, go to http://www.westrendart.com. Selected art is posted there. Anyway, it’s always a pleasure to look at Stan Lynde wearing his cowboy hat with the porcupine quill band. He’s just a heckuva handsome guy!

Total sales exceeded $492,000
compared to some $324,000 last year
and previous record of $400,000 raised in 2003 at the 25th anniversary of the Rendezvous.
(These figures are modest compared to the big time auctions but still pretty healthy for a small pleasant show without stellar or historic artists.)

I didn’t go to the show this year (gas is way too high) but the following paintings were on the website:

Matt Smith, "Runoff in Flat Tire Canyon," is a very nice piece of scenery.
George Strickland, "When Mountains Are Gold," is reminiscent of the style of Maynard Dixon, at least when digitized.

The Heritage Award was given to Don Prechtel for his "Punitive Expedition." This is an excellently done composition of cavalry in the SW -- I’m guessing showing the use of Apache scouts to hunt down Apaches when Geronimo left the rez everytime he was double-crossed, which was often.

This organization puts emphasis on peaceful plein aire paintings. Almost all the samples are landscapes or portraits of animals or colorful people -- that’s pretty typical. What caught my eye on the website were the following:

A ghostly portrait of the inside of “The Old Bodie Saloon” by Gerald Fritzler is done in watercolor, which is the right medium for this fading scene with its rococo pool table.

Newman Myrah’s “Trail Hounds,” is a gentle painting of a packer, his horses and hounds. Myrah is an long-time expert in the CAA crowd.

Steve Seltzer’s “Square Butte Camp” is a classic scene of Blackfeet lodges near the famous butte his grandfather and Charlie Russell painted many times -- but at least in this digital rendering -- much more in the style of Sharp, soft on a cloudy day.

Among the bronzes, I admire (as usual) Joe Halko’s pair of mountain sheep, “Pride of the Rockies.” He likes to portrait animals in small groups and he is especially fond of animals that have knuckly, gnarly, curly parts like rear ends, horns, nostrils and ears that give him an excuse to make them so appealing that I can’t keep my hands off them.

Bob Morgan has from the beginning been a quiet force for order and persistence and it has paid off for everyone.