On the Town: Prix de West showcases top Western artists, raises millions

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The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum recently finished another successful weekend of celebrating top contemporary Western artists in its annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition and Sale weekend, which generated nearly $3.1 million in sales and hosted artists and people from around the country.

The museum announced the fundraising total on Thursday, and the annual Prix de West and all the surrounding events mean much more than numbers to the people who attend and to the community. If you can go see the art while it’s on display through Aug. 4, do so. It’s worth spending some time browsing some of the top contemporary Western artists working today.

During the weekend, painter and sculptor George Carlson became the fifth artist to receive the prestigious Prix de West Lifetime Achievement Award in the event’s 52-year history. Dean Mitchell received the Directors’ Choice Award for Excellence, given on special occasions, for his acrylic painting “Why,” which depicts the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in a powerful way.

The other top award, the 2024 Prix de West Purchase Award went to Thomas Blackshear II for his oil-on-canvas painting “A Much Needed Break.” The museum purchased the painting for its permanent collection. Blackshear describes his style as “Western nouveau – his paintings depict the strength within Black and Native cultures, a news release stated.

Other artist winners included Daniel Smith, Kyle Sims, George Carlson, Joel R. Johnson, T. Allen Lawson, Dan Friday, Abigail Gutting and Grant Redden.

I enjoyed attending the preview cocktail on Friday night reception for the artists, buyers and the community, and the sale itself on Saturday; the energy and passion for art were evident throughout both events. I also went a separate time by myself on Saturday so I could spend some time with all the art. I visited with Friday, the Seattle-based glassblowing sculptor who was making his first appearance at the show and recognized him as one who competed in the third season of Netflix’s glassblowing art competition show, “Blown Away.” His artistic accomplishments are longer than that; he had two pieces in this year’s show and won the James Earle Fraser Sculpture Award

See the works at the museum or through the online catalog at pdw.nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Route 66 Blue Hippo Festival

This weekend, the Edmond History Museum is hosting the Route 66 Blue Hippo Festival to celebrate the community as a stop along Route 66 and the reopening of Stephenson Park.

Stop by the festival presented by the Edmond Parks and Recreation Department from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Edmond History Museum and in Stephenson Park for family-friendly activities, music performances, artists, blue classic cars, a community art project and more, a news release noted. In a story in The Journal Record last week, Heide Brandes wrote more about the origins of the Blue Hippo located at 12th and S Broadway in Edmond as a community icon.

The festival is free with help from sponsors Visit Edmond, TTCU Federal Credit Union, The Edmond Way and Citizens Bank of Edmond. For information, go to VisitEdmondHistory.org

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