Michael Dudash
Born 1952 in Mankato, Minnesota; lives in Rathdrum, Idaho
BORN AND RAISED IN MINNESOTA, C. Michael Dudash settled in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where he began his full-time career as an artist and oil painter in 1977. Trained in the fine arts, his decision to begin a career in classic illustration won him prestigious national reputation. His transition back into fine art was natural, as his influences as an oil painter have been classical painters such as Sargent and Fechin, the Impressionists, and Golden Age illustrators N. C. Wyeth, Harvey Dunn, and Maxfield Parrish.
Dudash’s corporate and individual collectors appreciate the draftsmanship, use of light and colorful atmosphere that he brings to his work. During the past 18 years, he has directed his energies into painting the characters and history of the Old West. “I love the various elements of nineteenth-century frontier subject matter. I get to combine landscapes, vintage gear and clothing, colorful characters, livestock, and interesting history all rolled into a growing body of work. The storytelling aspect is also a lot of fun, one that is full of unlimited possibilities.”
Notable Awards and Achievements
2021 Cowboy Artists of America, Gold Medal Best Oil Painting
2020 The Legacy Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona, “Tales of the Painted West”, 20 painting, one-man show
2017 Cowboy Artists of America Show, Gold Medal for Drawing
2017 C. M. Russell Museum, The Russell, Best of Show
2017 Briscoe Western Art Museum, Night of Artists, Museum Purchase Award
2016 Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, Spirit of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale Award
2016 Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Quest for the West, Artists’ Choice Award (also in 2015 and 2014)
2014 Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Quest for the West, Patrons’ Choice Award
2012 Saks Galleries, American Art Invitational, Collectors’ Choice Award
Memberships
Cowboy Artists of America
Selected Publications
Art of the West
The Artists’ Magazine
C. Michael Dudash: The Fine Art of Oil Painting, Western Collection (Mission House Artworks, 2012)
Southwest Art
Western Art Collector
Gallery Representation
Coeur d’Alene Gallery, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
The Legacy Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, Arizona