Events

Public exhibition open through Oct. 5; stunning works still available for purchase

Monday, Sept. 8, 2025

INDIANAPOLIS – Collectors purchased a record $1.33 million in artworks inspired by the American West during the Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale Sept. 5-6 at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. At the 20^th annual Quest, 350 participants gathered to admire and purchase artworks and meet some of the show’s 48 artists.

“The 20th annual Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale was a remarkable opportunity for art collectors who are passionate about the American West to connect with some of the finest contemporary Western artists working today. The extraordinary caliber of the artwork, combined with the Eiteljorg’s national reputation for excellence and our one-of-a-kind Hoosier hospitality, contributed to this year’s success. Now we invite the general public to experience these exceptional Quest for the West® artworks, on view at the Eiteljorg Museum through Oct. 5,” said Eiteljorg President and CEO Kathryn Haigh.

The opening weekend included two fixed-price, luck-of-the-draw sales and an awards banquet. The amount of art sold totals $1,333,525 and counting, a new record for the annual Quest for the West® event that in a typical year sells just over $1 million. That includes 113 artworks purchased during the Quest main sale Sept. 6, plus 42 smaller works sold at the Quest miniature sale Sept. 5 and additional sales since then. Any artworks not sold during Quest weekend – including paintings as well as additional casts of sculptures – can be purchased through Oct. 5; contact khinds@eiteljorg.com to buy remaining works.

First held in September 2006, Quest for the West® is an annual museum fundraising event; 75 percent of sales proceeds go directly to artists, with remaining proceeds benefiting the Eiteljorg. Since its inception, approximately $20 million in art has been sold over two decades of Quest for the West® shows.

Quest art awards
At the Sept. 6 banquet, Quest for the West® artists were recognized with awards in multiple categories:

Sean Michael Chavez of Albuquerque, New Mexico, received the Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award for a painting, Rebeldes Look (Noche). That work was purchased for the museum and added to its collections. The Western Art Society, a group of museum supporters, presented the purchase award.

Tim Cherry of Branson, Missouri, won the Artist of Distinction Award for his bronze sculpture Danger from Above and other works. Cherry’s sculptures will be subject of a special retrospective exhibition during next year’s 21^st annual Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale. The award is presented by the Western Art Society.

Pati Stajcar of Bozeman, Montana, received the Cyrus Dallin Award for Best Sculpture for her carved wood work, Slow Roll. Michael and Carla Leppert sponsored the award.

Dave Santillanes of Fort Collins, Colorado, won the Henry Farny Award for Best Painting for his work, Treasure. Steve and Jane Marmon sponsored the award.

Santillanes also received the Victor Higgins Award of Distinction, sponsored by Catherine Turner, for the best overall body of work presented at the show, including Treasure and three other paintings.

Quest artists voted to select the recipient of the Artists’ Choice Award, sponsored by Phyllis Cockerill. The award went to David Griffin of Dallas, Texas, for a painting, The Art of Wandering.

In a vote by attendees, P.A. Nisbet of Santa Fe, New Mexico won the Patrons’ Choice Award for a painting, Land of Shadows. Tom and Patty Gibbs sponsored the award.

Krystii Melaine of Cody, Wyoming, won the Miniature Art Show Patrons’ Choice Award, for a painting, Silent Sentinel. The award is sponsored by David and Giselle Found.

Of 48 established artists who had works in Quest for the West®, six participated for the first time. Quest paintings and sculptures remain on exhibit at the Eiteljorg Museum through Oct. 5 for visitors to enjoy before purchased works are shipped to their buyers. The Quest art show is included with regular museum admission; members get in free. A beautifully illustrated 2025 Quest for the West® art catalog is available in the Frank and Katrina Basile Museum Store. Details are at quest.eiteljorg.org.

Quest for the West® attendees on Sept. 6 enjoyed a talk from a leading scholar of American art, Mindy N. Besaw, director of the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University-Bloomington. Besaw discussed her previous role at the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, co-curating a nationally renowned exhibition, Knowing the West.

The 20^th annual Quest for the West^® Art Show and Sale was presented by the Western Art Society and the Avis Foundation, Inc., as well as numerous other donors. The Eiteljorg also thanks the many volunteers and staff who assisted with tallying bids and other tasks during the two luck-of-the-draw sales.

About the Eiteljorg
For more than 36 years, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art has been an integral part of the cultural fabric of Indianapolis and scenic White River State Park. The Eiteljorg Museum explores the intersection of the arts, histories and cultures of the past and present by sharing the diverse stories of the American West and the Indigenous Peoples of North America. Located on the Central Canal at 500 West Washington St., the Eiteljorg is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Media Contacts
Bryan Corbin
Public Relations Manager
317.275.1315
bcorbin@eiteljorg.com

Katie Warthan
Director of Communications and Marketing
317.275.1317
kwarthan@eiteljorg.com

Tabby Fitzgerald
Digital Marketing Coordinator
317.275.1388
tfitzgerald@eiteljorg.com