Buffalo Bill Art Show Opening Puts Cody In National Spotlight

CODY — One of the most important Western art shows in the nation opened in the city named for Buffalo Bill Cody with naming its 2024 winners.

The 43rd Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West was packed Friday with art lovers and artists. They sipped wine and cocktails while taking in the 104 works of art submitted by contemporary Western artists valued at more than $1.32 million.

But the biggest reveals of the night were on the small placards placed next to eight pieces in the gallery. These are winners of the coveted Western art show's handful of adjudicated awards.

While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, a lot more than just appreciation goes into choosing the Buffalo Bill Art Show winners.

Three judges from different realms of the art world individually examined every piece and then discussed which would become award-winning entries. This quality elevates the prestige and excitement of the annual show for everyone involved.

"They are challenged with an almost impossible task," said Katelyn Parker, the new director of the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale. "All of our artists come forward with their best work, and our judges have to judge this show."

The Awards

By the Friday evening opening reception, the three judges had reached their consensus and were ready to announce the awards.

Best in Show Two-Dimensional Award went to Stephanie Hartshorn's oil painting "Blue Chair." It depicts a line of buildings along a highway, with a small, unassuming blue chair sitting against the wall of one of them.

"This (award) was the most difficult process with a lot of deliberation and conversation," said judge Kendra Heimbuck. "We continued to go back and look at the narrative that Stephanie was telling. This is a really familiar scene of the rural West; some of the melancholy and the familiarity of it, and the execution of it is wonderful. We are really proud and excited to honor Stephanie with this award."

Best in Show Three-Dimensional went to the bronze sculpture “Home is Where You Find It” by Stefan Savides. It depicts a mother chicken nestled in a crushed bucket while one of her chicks looks on.

"We thought it was very clever in the composition," said judge Scott Leinen. "You could envision that scene in a lot of states in the union. It's one that makes you smile."

Five Awards of Excellence were also given to various pieces for their artistry, composition and use of color, among other qualities.

But the show's most important and coveted award, The Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale Award, went to the oil painting "High Noon" by Ralph Oberg. It depicts a herd of pronghorn in intense midday sunlight.

"We all found it captivating how it captured the feel of the West," judge Susan Potje said. "The palette spoke to each of us, and the composition drew your eye right through the canvas and up to the top. It captured how we all feel when we experienced the West."

Once the judges concluded their remarks to a warm round of applause, the crowd surged toward each award-winning piece.

Many eyed them with increased appreciation and scrutiny, while others were envisioning a place for the pieces in their homes and collections.

Judging Prestige

The Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale focuses exclusively on contemporary Western artists, simultaneously giving them opportunity and a challenge.

Each artist can only submit one piece, which former director Kathy Thompson said brings out the best in all of them.

"At other shows, they might get to take five pieces," she said. "We only have space for every artist to have one big piece. They want to make their money on one piece, so they get excited and put their best foot forward. They only have one chance here."

Thompson implemented the awards shortly after she took over the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale. The awards, which come with a significant cash prize, encourage artists to bring their best work to Cody each year, building the prestige and profitability of the annual art auction.

"This made us seen in the art world," Thompson said. "The show was judged before, but it was just a ribbon and a thank you. With a big prize attached to each award, it brought out the best in everything and everybody."

Throughout her tenure, Thompson tried to have a different group of judges for each show and rarely used a judge more than once in her 16 years as director. This ongoing tradition allows for fresh perspectives, free of biases toward artists or the show itself.

The Judges

The judges this year represent three realms important to every one of the 104 participating artists: business, collectors and curators/historians.

Potje is the CEO of Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was the judge selected to represent the business side of the art community.

"We've been coming to the show for about five or six years," she said. "Besides being in the business, we are avid collectors, so we've become friends with Kathy Thompson and Katelyn and a lot of the Cody art community. I'm not sure why they picked (me) except for that they know we love art."

Leinen from Omaha, Nebraska, was the judge representing the art world's patrons and collectors. He first attended the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale in 2023 and bought one of the pieces during the live auction.

"A gentleman named Tim Newton insisted that I come out and see this show and this museum, and I'm so thankful that he did," he said. "I thought the show was very well done, they did an extraordinary job with the auction, and the artwork, of course, speaks for itself."

Heimbuck, the executive director of The Brinton Museum in Sheridan, represented the curator/historian realm.

"I've been the executive director for a year and a half," she said. "I assume Kathy and Katelyn reached out to me because of my newness in that role and a willingness to grow a partnership between my institution and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. That led me to say yes to the opportunity."

First-Timers

All three judges had one thing in common — they weren't experienced judges for fine art shows. It was a first for Potje and Leinen and only Heimbuck's second outing.

Nevertheless, they were excited to bring their perspectives to the task.

"I'm used to looking at images in print, so it's great to actually be able to jury and judge them in person," Potje said. "You can never convey the exact same feeling via print image. I developed an eye to look for the technicality, composition, and pallet. All those things together draw you in."

"This is a new experience for me," Leinen said. “But I've purchased a lot of art before and spent a lot of time in galleries and with artists and auctioneers. I've been around the periphery of museum and gallery shows and developed an eye for quality art."

The judges had a day to go through the gallery and see all 104 pieces. Then, they had to sit together, justify their choices and find a consensus for the eight awards.

"We posed the question, 'What would you add to your collection?' a couple of times," Heimbuck said. "It was different from what we'd add to a personal collection versus a museum or corporate collection. Sometimes art has a proper place for it to be exhibited, and there are so many reasons to fall in love with art."

"It was interesting to see art through other people's eyes," Leinen said.

Thompson said the consensus is the most important aspect of the judges' task.

"They all get an opinion, and they all must make a statement to justify their opinions," she said. "But they must come to a consensus because we answer to the artists. We want the smattering of opinions on why art is important."

Spirit Of Buffalo Bill

The Spirit of Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale Award is the highest honor bestowed by the show.

According to the official description in the show's catalog, one piece each year is selected to “recognize the artwork that is most representative of the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale in terms of location, history and the greatness and grandeur embodied by the 'spirit' of the American West."

It carries the most weight and comes with the biggest prize. So, it was intriguing that Heimbuck, Leinen and Potje were almost immediately unanimous in their decision that Oberg's "High Noon" was the most deserving piece in the show.

"We immediately started to deliberate and discuss the other selections, and "High Noon" kept rising to the top," Heimbuck said. "The palette, the composition, the technicality, the subject matter — all of that together spoke to each of us. And we felt that it best represented the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale."

Beyond Biases

Thompson admitted that the judging process hasn't always gone smoothly.

"I had one judge one year who said there's only one artist in this that's worthy of a prize for any reason," she said. "They were adamant that this was the one. So, when we got ready to call the artists, they said, 'I want to call, he's my best friend.' They had to recuse themselves, and we will ask judges to do that if needed."

Leinen and Potje acknowledged that they would be interested in acquiring some of the pieces in the gallery, as they are collectors and connoisseurs of Western art. However, they could see beyond themselves for the show's benefit.

"Every person has a bias in some way, shape or form," Leinen said. "I can't say that you can conveniently put that away, as there'll be pieces that you're drawn to when you just see them hanging. But you ask yourself, ‘Does this piece represent this show well?’ It's interesting to go through that process."

"There was a lot of discussion around what the strongest work of art in each category is," Heimbuck added. "When we got puzzled or stuck, we would ask ourselves, 'What would we want to collect, or what would I want to see in our museum?' And that was a helpful way to bring a different perspective to the decision making."

Thompson said the consensus is the most important aspect of the judges' task.

"They all get an opinion, and they all must make a statement to justify their opinions," she said. "But they must come to a consensus because we answer to the artists. We want the smattering of opinions on why art is important."

Judging And Bidding

All three judges eagerly await the live auction Sept. 20. Leinen said he plans to attend in person and could be bidding on some of the pieces as they make their way down the runway.

"I've been looking around at pieces I might want to bid on," he said. "My wife would not like to hear that, but she's already resigned herself to the fact that that's probably happening."

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.