A row of western-themed oil and mixed-media paintings is shown Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Roughly 400 residents packed themselves inside the Old West Museum on Saturday night for the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show & Sale.
Around 190 pieces of art were put on display inside the museum, ranging across various mediums including watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, oil, photography and sculpture. Artists from Wyoming, Kansas, Arizona and New York submitted their works to the western-themed show, Amanda Marshall, art show and events coordinator, told Cap City News.
A jury elected the best piece from each art category, and one painting won the “Best of Show” award. Attendees also got to vote for a “People’s Choice” piece. The awards are as follows:
Best miniature: “Elusive Radiance,” by Becky Eileen Eller
Best printmaking: “Blue Eddy,” by Ginnie Madsen
Best pastel: “Fresh Start to a Beautiful Day,” by Ron Swearingen
Best oil: “Old Bones,” by Elizabeth Rouland
Best photography: “Miner’s Boots,” by Denise Hawkins
Best watercolor: “Canada Jay,” by Wesley Merritt
Best mixed media: “Long Day Done,” by Steve Knox
Best sculpture: “Giant Steps,” by Doug Schneiter
Best drawing: “Caw-ling,” by Robert Martinez
Best acrylic: “Painted Wall,” by Marc Jones
Best of Show: “The Handoff,” by Will Barker
People’s Choice: “Morning and Night,” by Danielle Hartzler
Four artists — Yuko Hays, Will Barker, Drew Christie and Danielle Hartzler — painted on miniature wood canvases live during the opening reception. Their pieces, which they completed in under an hour, were auctioned off to attendees later into the night. They sold for hundreds of dollars each.
The art gallery is open to museum members from March 3 to April 14. Old West Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A photograph shows a family of raccoons peeking through a tree opening Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Elizabeth Rouland stands next to “Old Bones,” the winner for best oil painting, on Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. The painting is based on an old sugar mill west of Loveland, Rouland said. “I’ve just fallen in love with this building,” she said, adding that it “feels like an old man.” (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Marc Jones’s acrylic piece “Painted Wall,” which was awarded best acrylic painting, is on display Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Ginnie Madsen stands next to her piece, “Blue Eddy,” which received the best printmaking award on Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. Madsen said her printmaking pieces are based on places she has visited, particularly mountains and meadows. “By doing them, I sort of hold them,” she said. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Gunslingers and horse riders take action in several art pieces Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Wesley Merritt’s “Canada Jay,” the winner for the best watercolor painting award, is shown Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Doug Schneiter stands next to his wood sculpture “Giant Steps,” which won the best sculpture award Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. Schneiter uses a variety of wood for his works, he said. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Paintings that show saddled horses are on display Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Halie Turley holds up Will Barker’s “On the Hunt” to attendees during an auction Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Rows of miniature art pieces are on display Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Ron Swearingen’s pastel painting “Fresh Start to a Beautiful Day,” the winner in the pastel category, is shown Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Denise Hawkins stands next to her photograph, “Miner’s Boots,” which received award for best photograph award on Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. The photo was taken in Sunrise, Wyoming, a former mining town, Hawkins said. She said she “was struck” when she came across the boots while exploring the town and wondered who left them there. The photograph is a statement about the mine closing, Hawkins said. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Robert Martinez’s “Caw-ling,” winner for best drawing, is on display Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Steve Knox stands next to “Long Day Done,” which received the award for best mixed-media piece, on Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. Knox created the piece entirely out of tea bags. He utilized gauche, gold leaf paint and stitching to tie the piece together. The art is a tribute to Cheyenne rancher Chris Farthing, Knox said. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Becky Elieen Eller’s “Elusive Radiance,” the winner for best miniature, is shown Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)The “People’s Choice” winner, “Morning and Night” by Danielle Hartzler, is on display Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Will Barker’s painting and “Best of Show” winner, “The Handoff,” is on display Saturday night during the opening reception of the Western Spirit Art Show inside Old West Museum in Cheyenne. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)
