The 43rd annual Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale in Cody saw brought some big bidders for large paintings.
By the time the dust cleared, two live auctions and their accompanying silent auctions Friday and Saturday had raised at least $1.25 million. That includes a first for the famous Western art extravaganza — topping $1 million in one night Friday.
Money raised from the 2024 show are split between the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce and the artists whose works are featured in the show.
It was a bittersweet success for outgoing director Kathy Thompson, who spent 16 years building the annual show into one of the best and most exciting Western art auctions in the United States.
“It was great to watch,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “This is my sunset with this event. There are a few clouds over the top because it's bittersweet, but it's been a joy for me to have my artists and my family here for all these years. This is a sunset for me, but there are always beautiful sunsets and sunrises in Cody.”
Reserve Reservations
Of the 104 pieces from 104 artists in the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale, 98 paintings and sculptures were sold during Friday night’s live auction. The six pieces that didn’t sell hadn’t reached the reserve price during the bidding.
The double-edged sword of a live auction is that pieces can go above or below their expected values when the bidding stops. That’s why all the artists are encouraged to set a minimum reserve for their work.
“We ask that they have a reserve, and we don't like to set it for them,” said Thompson. “We ask them to be conscious of their reserve because this is a fundraiser, but we don't want to sell it for nothing.”
Thompson said many artists aren’t inclined to set a reserve for their pieces because they want them to sell, whatever the price. It’s their way of showing how much they appreciate the show and their inclusion.
“Some artists say they won't put any reserve on their work because they love the show and just want their work to sell,” she said. “We ask them all to put a reserve because we value all of their art, and we want to be sure they value their art, as well.”
Big Buyers
As the momentum of the live auction chugged along, patrons and artists heard the same bidding numbers multiple times throughout the evening. Everyone in the tent had an eye for contemporary Western art, but a small group of patrons were bidding above and beyond.
Bidder 347 won seven pieces during Friday night’s auction totaling $59,000. Bidder 123 wasn’t far behind, winning six pieces Friday and Saturday for $54,400.
Bidders 347 and 123 collectively bought 13 pieces of art for a total of $113,400. That’s a sizeable portion of the show’s art and earnings from two buyers.
That’s all by design.
Thompson spent her career cultivating personal relationships with each patron, getting an idea of what they’re looking to add to their collections, galleries and homes, and encouraging artists to create pieces that meet those marks.
“You must have the right art with the right patrons,” she said. “We've done surveys during my stint to find out what patrons are looking for, and we try to provide that. A patron might say, ‘I don't have a 22-foot wall to put a piece on, but I have a special spot for something small.’ They might be looking for a landscape or something with a traditional cowboy.
“Whatever they're looking for, the artists have an opportunity to provide that, and we pass that along to the artists, so they have an idea what to create, which is terrific.”
Here are the highest-selling works from this year’s show and information about them and the artists:
‘The Things We’ve Handed Down’ by David Dibble: $18,000
• Oil, 37x455 inches
“This piece speaks to the beauty and nobility of a good hay bale,” said Dibble. “Of ranching and farming and human interaction with the land. It also speaks of things we value, pass on and share in societies, communities, families and relationships.”
Dibble’s painting won one of the five Judge’s Awards of Excellence for the 2024 show. He was also one of the top-selling artists during last year’s Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale when his painting “Nevada Gothic” sold for $25,000.
‘Woodland Artist’ by Doug Hall: $18,000
• Oil, 40x30 inches
“(This painting) shows ancient Eastern Woodland Indians expressing their creativity by painting on trees,” Hall said. “They achieved this by carefully peeling bark from basswood, cedar and elms. Using natural materials like ochre, charcoal, and pollen, they created vibrant colors to paint symbols and tell stories. These painted trees turned unto temporary art galleries, depicting scenes of hunting, fishing, trading and gatherings.”
Hall has lived in a hand-built log cabin in Missouri for more than 40 years and has been “blanketed” by the Eastern Shawnee tribe, the highest honor the tribe bestows on nonmembers.
‘Secrets of the Mesa’ by Dustin Payne: $18,000
• Bronze, 21x21x12 inches
“While riding along a rocky trail, this cowboy had a surprise waiting for him beneath the rimrock,” Payne said.
Payne was inducted into the Cowboy Artists of America in 2017. He created a life-size monument honoring the Texas Rangers titled ‘The Legend, The Lore, The Law,” in front of the Texas Rangers Heritage Center in Fredericksburg, Texas.
He also participated in the Saturday morning Quick Draw, where five castings of his sculpture “Sage Brush Justice” sold for $11,250.
‘Sunday Nap’ by T. Allen Lawson: $22,000
• Oil, 17.86x18 inches
Lawson was born in Sheridan and considers himself a “lifelong student” trying to evolve his interests and influences for his work.
‘As Sure As The Wild Geese Take Wing on November's Cold Breath, So Too Do Old Towns Slow Down’ by Michael Ome Untiedt: $24,000
• Oil, 30x40 inches
“In this piece, I wanted to bring the viewer more into the painting, perhaps making the painting participatory,” Untiedt said. “I also wanted to continue to push the theme of the tyranny of the passing of time by adding more life, the dog and birds, representing the fragility of our individual lives vs. the continuity of the natural world.”
Untiedt maintains a studio in Denver, and his work has been frequently included in the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale.
‘Young Annie Oakley’ by Santiago Michalek: $30,000
• Oil, 65x48 inches
“We all know Annie Oakley as one of the fine female sharpshooters/trick-shot marksmen of all time,” Michalek said. “Her skills seem almost mythical today. But one of the most incredible things about her is where she came from and how she became who she was, one of the most famous women in the world in her time.”
Born in Argentina, Michalek’s painting “Horse Power” won the People’s Choice Award for the 42nd Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale and was one of the highest-selling pieces that year at $27,500.
Michalek participated in the 2024 Quick Draw, where his painting “Chesapeake” sold for $9,000.
‘Lighting the Valley Floor’ by Ty Barhaug: $32,500
• Oil, 9x35 inches
“The way the mountains and storms affect the light in Wyoming’s vast valleys, stretching the light, makes you see how big everything is,” Barhaug said. “Creating a vision of an immeasurable panorama that, when painted, could never be long enough.”
Barhaug is a Wyoming native who won the People’s Choice Award for the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale in 2008 and 2020. He was among the top 20 artists in the U.S. Forest Service Centennial Celebration.
‘The Walk of Tombstone’ by Vic Payne: $35,000
• Bronze, 29x54x20 inches
“With this sculpture, I wanted to transport you to Oct. 26, 1881, and capture the infamous gunfight near the O.K. Corral that immortalized the Earps, Doc Holliday and the Cowboys,” Payne said. “Their story has fascinated audiences for over a century. At his 1929 funeral, (Wyatt Earp’s) friend, movie star Tom Mix, openly wept, underscoring Earp’s lasting impact.”
Payne works out of a historic, newly restored studio in the Meeteetse Mercantile building. He was one of several Wyoming artists impacted by the loss of the Caleco Foundry in Cody earlier this year.
Payne’s bronze sculpture “Sounds of the Night” won a Judge’s Award of Excellence last year and was the highest-selling piece the show at $45,000.
‘Sanctuary’ by Tucker Smith: $37,500
• Oil, 20x24 inches
“Grouse whortleberry groundcover is found in alpine virgin timber,” Smith said. “It is commonly used by elk seeking refuge.”
Smith has lived in Pinedale since he was 12. He spent eight years as a computer programmer and systems analyst for the state of Montana before turning to his lifelong passion of painting at age 31.
This painting won one of the five Judges’ Awards of Excellence for the 43rd Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale.
‘Three Crow Ladies on Their Parade Horses’ by Kevin Red Star: $42,4500
• Mixed Media, 60x48 inches
“Three ladies at the Crow Fair, dressed in their traditional regalia,” Red Star said. “They will parade each day, at the start of the competitions and then again in the evening during celebrations.”
Red Star was born on the Crow Indian Reservation in Lodge Grass, Montana, and holds honorary doctoral degrees from Rocky Mountain College and the Institute of American Indian Arts. His painting ‘Crow Indians on Magpie Creek’ was the highest-selling painting of the 42nd Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale, going for $32,500.
‘Nuance or Nothing is Just Black or White’ by Sally Maxwell: $42,500
• Colored scratchboard, 24x48 inches
“I double-titled this piece on purpose,” Maxwell said. “So many things have multiple results to an action taken, and usually, all of those results have not been thought out when a decision is made. Originally, I was going to do a snowscape background, but I was inspired to make a statement by a song my son-in-law had written. It drove me to try to make a point instead.”
Maxwell’s painting won the 2024 People’s Choice Award. She’s been working in scratchboard for more than 57 years and is a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
