20th annual event Sept. 5-6 showcases the West in art; special events ahead
Brad Teare, High Desert Light, 2025, oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025
INDIANAPOLIS — One of the most prestigious Western American art shows in the nation returns to the Eiteljorg Museum on Sept. 5-6: 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 Oct. 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,” said Eiteljorg President and CEO Kathryn Haigh. “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 journey, or simply an admirer of exceptional art, Quest for the West® offers an experience that is both timeless and unforgettable.”
Starr Hardridge (Muscogee Creek), Shadow of Indian Territory, 2025, acrylic, 20 x 16 inches
For complete information about Quest for the West®, including participating artists, an early look at the art, opening weekend registration and absentee buyer information, visit quest.eiteljorg.org or contact Kay Hinds, development coordinator, at khinds@eiteljorg.com or 317.275.1341. Here is a closer look at details of the 20th annual Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale that are included with registration:
Guest Speaker: Reframing the West
On Saturday afternoon Sept. 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.
Preston Singletary (Tlingit), Ash Moon, 2021, blown and sand-carved glass, Edition of 1, 26 x 15 ½ x 12 inches
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 Sept. 5
For pre-registered guests, the sale weekend kicks off Friday, Sept. 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 Sept. 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.
Public Exhibition
Between Sept. 7 and Oct. 5, Eiteljorg visitors with regular admission can see all the Quest main sale artworks in the special exhibitions gallery; museum members have free admission. Any Quest artworks not sold during opening weekend are available for purchase through Oct. 5.
Quest for the West® is presented by The Western Art Society and Avis Foundation, Inc.
Gayle Weisfield, Survival, 2025, watercolor, 22 x 28 inches
About the Eiteljorg
For 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
MEDIA COVERAGE:
Western Art Collector magazine had a preview of the 2025 Quest for the West in the September issue:
https://eiteljorg.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Western-Art-Collector-Magazine_September-2025_Quest-for-the-West-Preview.pdf
WISH-TV8 in Indianapolis aired this preview story Aug. 28 about Quest for the West:
https://www.wishtv.com/news/local-news/quest-west-art-show/
Southwest Art magazine on July 15 had a preview of the 2025 Quest:
https://www.southwestart.com/events/quest-aug2025
Western Art & Architecture magazine had a preview of the 2025 Quest in the July-August issue:
https://eiteljorg.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Western-Art-Architecture_Aug-Sept.-2025_Quest-for-the-West-story.pdf