FALL INTO ART

IMPRESSIONISM IN DEPTH

AMERICAN IMPRESSIONIST SOCIETY 23RD ANNUAL NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION

Mary Williams Fine Arts

Boulder, Colorado americanimpressionistsociety.org

September 16–October 22

The American Impressionist Society (AIS) will soon open its 23rd Annual National Juried Exhibition at Mary Williams Fine Arts. On view will be 155 paintings, as well as 25 more created by AIS “Masters,” officers, and founders. Most have been created in oils, pastels, watercolors, acrylics, or gouaches. A fivemember jury reviewed more than 1,210 entries, and a catalogue illustrating all of the works they selected will be available for purchase.

At the opening event, AIS Master Huihan Liu will serve as awards judge, distribut-

ANIMALS IN FOCUS ing more than $75,000 in cash and merchandise, including $12,000 for Best of Show. On September 16, Liu and AIS Signature Member

NICHE: THE TWO WORLDS OF GUY COMBES

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

Tucson desertmuseum.org through December 4

Born in Kenya and now based in Arizona, Guy Combes is a distinguished animal artist who has opened his first major solo exhibition in the U.S. at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. On view are more than 50 paintings and drawings that reflect his lifelong fascination with the trajectory of evolutionary biology, particularly as seen through wildlife and their relationship to the environment. Inspired by the (sometimes unexpected) similarities between the ecosystems of the Sonoran Desert and the East African savannah he knows so well, Combes has been experimenting with new styles and techniques in recent years. Like many of his colleagues, he is particularly concerned about how humankind’s actions are (re)shaping the future of the natural world. A gala reception is scheduled for October 8.

Aaron Schuerr will demonstrate their painting techniques. September 17 will feature a “Wet Wall” exhibition and sale of paintings created by AIS members in and around Boulder during the preceding week.

Founded in 1998, AIS is a nonprofit organization with more than 2,100 U.S.-based members who promote impressionist painting through exhibitions, workshops, and other educational programs.

NATIONAL OIL & ACRYLIC

PAINTERS’ SOCIETY

32ND BEST OF AMERICA

NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION

Wilcox Gallery

Jackson Hole noaps.org and wilcoxgallery.com

September 8–October 8

The National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society (NOAPS) will mark its 32nd anniversary with its Best of America National Juried Exhibition, to be presented at Wilcox Gallery. Approximately 150 paintings created by NOAPS members will be on view both on site and online.

Events during the show’s opening week will include demos and also a Plein Air Competition & Sale. But the official opening reception will not occur until September 16, when awards judges Hebe Brooks, Rick Delanty, and Christina Ramos will reveal who has won the $5,000 Best of Show, as well as $30,000 more in cash and sponsor awards.

Evocations Of Life

BEN ARONSON: DIRECTIONS

LewAllenGalleries

Santa Fe lewallengalleries.com through October 8

“The main objective is not merely to capture physical likeness,” artist Ben Aronson explains, “but rather to aim for the most concentrated form of a powerful visual experience.” A show of his paintings at LewAllenGalleries underscores how masterfully Aronson continues to achieve his aesthetic objectives. On view there now are the contemporary cityscapes for which he is best known, but also rural landscapes, still lifes, and even figures that may be less familiar to his admirers.

In all of his scenes, Aronson excels at suggesting movement and the evanescence of light, even when his subject is ostensibly still. Thanks to his variations in brushwork — alternately sharpened or blurred — we come away with evocations of atmosphere, fleeting moments captured forever, seemingly without effort but surely hard-won.

Always Questing

QUEST FOR THE WEST ART SHOW AND SALE Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art Indianapolis

September 9–10; September 11 – October 9

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is set to host the 17th annual edition of its popular Quest for the West Art Show and Sale. Visitors will be welcome to explore this exhibition of paintings and sculpture from September 11 through October 9, but the opening weekend of celebrations requires advance reservations.

On that weekend, collector-patrons will enjoy many opportunities to interact with the 50 top artists who have created the works on view, all inspired by the people and history of the American West. September 9 will encompass several events, including an open house at a local private collection, a reception honoring the 2021 Distinguished Artist Denis Milhomme (whose solo exhibition will open that evening), the “luck of the draw” miniature art sale, refreshments, and the exciting announcement of the Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award winner.

The next day will focus on the main sale, but the sold artworks will remain in the gallery for the next month so the public can enjoy them.

CODY’S BIG MOMENT

September 19–24

Rendezvous Royale is the joyful celebration of the arts that the lively town of Cody hosts every September, featuring a range of sales, workshops, demonstrations, lectures, and tours.

The week’s centerpiece is the 41st annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, which offers a broad range of stylistic interpretations of the West from more than 100 established and emerging artists. The works to be sold during its live auction will be displayed at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West through September 23; that evening the auction and dinner will occur in an adjacent tent, with collectors competing in the room, by phone, online, and via absentee bids.

The next morning will find 30 of the exhibiting artists participating in an outdoor Quick Draw & Sale while onlooking patrons enjoy brunch; the artists have only 90 minutes to create something memorable. Inside the Center, ongoing sales will occur throughout September via “The Scout’s Miniature Sale” and “Buy-It-Now Sale” of smaller works.

All proceeds benefit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and Cody Country Chamber of Commerce.

Also buzzing in Cody will be By Western Hands, the nonprofit organization that is preserving the legacy of Western design by promoting today’s top artisans. Its Western Functional Art exhibition will remain on view at its downtown gallery throughout the Rendezvous Royale

Busy In Jackson Hole

JACKSON HOLE jacksonholechamber.com wildlifeartevents.org westernvisions.org jacksonholeartauction.com

September 7–18

Every month is beautiful in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, but September is especially so as the aspen leaves start to turn yellow and a slight chill tints the night air. In keeping with the region’s reputation for culture, much of the month is dedicated to the Fall Arts Festival.

Among its intriguing events are the Western Design Conference Exhibit & Sale (September 8–11), Palates & Palettes (September 9), artist Troy Collins’s signing of the festival’s commemorative poster, which features his painting The Grandest Journey (September 14), Quickdraw (September 17), and Sunday Art Brunch (September 18).

The largest art institution in Jackson is the National Museum of Wildlife Art, which will host its 35th Western Visions Art Show + Sale from September 10 through October 2. This year’s edition will feature works by more than 170 artists, generally skewing toward smaller sizes; paintings are within 320 inches square and sculpture up to 18 inches in any one dimension. On September 14, the museum will host a panel discussion involving several participating artists; the next evening features the main auction followed by a dessert after-party.

And on September 16, the 16th annual Jackson Hole Art Auction gets underway, offering two days of selling in the handsome Center for the Arts downtown.