By Bryan Corbin, Storyteller magazine editor

Joseph McGurl, Procession, 2020
Oil on linen panel, 12 x 24 inches

Whether they enjoy dramatic landscape paintings, realist portraits of people and nature or compelling sculptures, admirers of Western American art look to the Eiteljorg Museum each September. At the Eiteljorg’s Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale, art-lovers can purchase exciting new works by today’s top artists in the Western genre.

Now celebrating its 15th year, Quest for the West® enjoys a national reputation as one of the best and most-anticipated Western art shows in the nation. It also supports Western artists by building interest in their field; and is memorable for serious art collectors and casual fans alike. This year’s sale has an exciting new online format, to allow for social distancing that would not have been possible with the previous format. Here are the highlights of the Quest virtual sale weekend:

George Hallmark, Bebiendo Amigos (Drinking Buddies), 2020
Oil on linen, 24 x 30 inches

Art and artists
Celebrating creativity, Quest features new works by 50 renowned painters and sculptors of Western art, including Robert Griffing, P.A. Nisbet, Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, Curt Mattson and others. Beautiful paintings and sculptures in the online show are inspired by the people and history of the American West, where many of the artists are based. Since their livelihoods rely on selling their beautiful art, the professional artists welcome the opportunity through Quest to connect with interested collectors and cultivate new fans of their work.

Dean Mitchell, For Freedom, 2020
Watercolor 30 x 22 inches

Quest main sale
Before the virtual sale, art collectors can scout out works by their favorite artists on the website quest.eiteljorg.org. On Saturday, Sept. 12, collectors can bid absentee in an online, fixed-price, luck-of-the-draw sale. A bidder whose name is drawn first gets the right to purchase a particular piece; if they pass, then the next person drawn can buy it; this process continues until a lucky bidder accepts and becomes the happy new owner of the artwork. In keeping with the Hoosier hospitality that the Eiteljorg is known for, a concierge service will assist all Quest collectors with their online bids and purchases. For reservations to the online sales, visit quest.eiteljorg.org.

The Quest Miniature Art Sale on Friday Sept. 11 is also a fixed-price, luck of the draw sale, featuring smaller paintings and sculptures by the same Quest artists. Volunteers assisted with tabulating bids at last year’s Quest miniatures sale.

Miniature art sale
Now in its fourth year, the Quest Miniature Art Sale is a popular complement to the main sale and will take place Friday, Sept 11. The same Quest artists offer smaller examples of their work. For experienced collectors who have no more room to add large works to their home and seek more compact pieces, it’s a convenient option. For new collectors, the miniature sale offers an affordable entry point into collecting. Reservations are required for the online miniatures sale.

Wes Studi (Cherokee). Photograph by Jen Boyer

Wes Studi next year
Film and television actor Wes Studi (Cherokee) originally was scheduled to be the special guest speaker this year, but his appearance has been postponed to next year’s Quest for the West®. Save the dates for Sept. 10-11, 2021. Studi gave unforgettable performances in The Last of the Mohicans, Dances with Wolves, Geronimo, Avatar and other films; and in 2019, Studi became the first Native American to receive an Academy Award for acting.

Quest online, with concierge service
For more about Quest for the West®, including an early look at artworks, information about artists, digital extras, reservations to the online sale and concierge information, visit: quest.eiteljorg.org.

Don’t forget to look for a copy of the beautifully illustrated Quest for the West® art catalog, available soon at the Frank and Katrina Basile Museum Store.

  David Grossmann, Pasture under Glowing Sky, 2020
Oil on linen panel, 30 x 40 inches

Visit: quest.eiteljorg.org for the latest information about 2020 Quest for the West® artists, their artworks, online purchases and reservations.

PRESENTED BY:
Western Art Society

#EJQuest

Editor’s Note:  This article originally appeared in the July 2020 issue of Storyteller magazine.