Quest for the West Art Show and Sale

Overview

One of the most prestigious Western American art shows in the nation returns to the Eiteljorg Museum: the 20th annual Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale.

Newly created artworks by 48 top artists can be purchased during two fixed-price, luck-of-the-draw sales during an opening weekend for pre-registered guests. Art collectors mix and mingle with artists in a festive atmosphere with fine dining. Special events include a talk by Dr. Mindy Besaw, director of the Eskenazi Museum of Art at IU-Bloomington and a leading scholar of American art.

Once the two-day sale concludes, the Quest artworks – including stunning landscape, portrait and still-life paintings and remarkable sculptures – will remain on view at the Eiteljorg through October 5 for museum visitors to admire in the Quest for the West® exhibition, before purchased works are shipped to their buyers.

First held in September 2006, Quest for the West® is known for its lively, welcoming atmosphere in which artists connect with art collectors. Since its inception, Quest has generated more than $19.5 million in art sales.

“Art and popular culture inspired by the American West are truly having a moment,” Eiteljorg President and CEO Kathryn Haigh said. “Now celebrating its 20th year, Quest for the West® connects with everyone, from those who find inspiration in the grandeur of Western national parks, to fans of hit shows and films like Yellowstone, to individuals who embrace the spirit of the West in their personal style with cowboy hats and boots. Whether you are a seasoned collector, just beginning your collecting journey, or simply an admirer of exceptional art, Quest for the West® offers an experience that is both timeless and unforgettable.”

Guest Speaker: Reframing the West

On Saturday afternoon September 6, pre-registered guests will enjoy a talk from a leading American art scholar: Mindy N. Besaw, Ph.D., who in August became the new director of the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University-Bloomington. Before that, Dr. Besaw was director of research and curator at Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville Arkansas, and co-curated a major traveling exhibition, Knowing the West. She will discuss that project and how it reframes definitions of the American West.

Art and Artists

Most of the 48 artists whose works are exhibited at Quest will be present at the Eiteljorg to meet buyers and discuss their art. This year, the Eiteljorg welcomes six established artists to their first Quest: Starr Hardridge (Muscogee Creek), David Jonason, Z.S. Liang, Bonnie Maris, Preston Singletary (Tlingit) and Jill Soukup. Eiteljorg visitors will remember Singletary’s acclaimed glass sculpture exhibition at the museum last fall, Raven and the Box of Daylight.

Longtime artists who are favorites of Quest collectors also return this year, including Tim Cherry, Robert Griffing, Donna Howell-Sickles, Mark Kelso, Krystii Melaine, P.A. Nisbet, Heide Presse and Daniel Smith, among others. View the online Quest gallery.

Miniature Art Sale, Friday, September 5

For pre-registered guests, the sale weekend kicks off Friday, September 5 with a miniature art sale and reception. Many Quest artists create smaller works for the Friday sale that appeal both to first-time buyers seeking lower price points and to experienced art collectors who have no more room for larger pieces.

Main Art Sale, Saturday, September 6

During the main sale, the three bidding periods are filled with excitement and suspense for collectors and artists alike. Quest is not an auction; instead, a bidder whose name is drawn gets the first right to purchase a particular work of art. If that bidder passes, the next person whose ballot is drawn has the opportunity to buy it.

Both sales evenings feature fine dining by Kahn’s Catering, and musical entertainment. During a Saturday, Sept. 6 banquet following the main art sale, artists can receive awards in several categories. The Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award goes to an artwork acquired for the museum’s permanent collection with the support of the Western Art Society.