As we approach the first weekend in February, everyone knows that we are all preparing for The Big Event!  Of course, I am talking about the Autry National Center’s Masters of the American West.

The Masters of the American West is the premiere annual Western art show, featuring more than 75 of the top, nationally recognized contemporary Western painters and sculptors.

The Masters of the American West is the brainchild of John Geraghty, famed collector of Western art and “Special Master” of the Masters event.  The event is also supported by Jay Grodin, long time Chairman of the event along with the Masters Committee whose members sponsor the event year after year.

Howard Terpning The Patrol – 1877 Oil, 50″ x 52″

The show opens on Saturday, January 31, 2015 with an artist’s presentation by the phenomenal wildelife sculptor Walter Matia at 10:30 a.m.,  the Chuck Wagon Luncheon and Award Presentation at noon and a presentation by Amy Scott, Chief Curator and Marilyn B. and Calvin B. Gross Curator of Visual Arts who will moderate a discussion on collecting at 2:00.

Award Winners from 2012 Masters of the American West Front: Tammy Garcia, Special Master John Geraghty, Howard Terpning, Kyle Polzin Back: Dean Mitchell, George Carlson, Tucker Smith, Masters Chairman Jay Grodin, Bill Anton & Gerald Balciar

At 5:30, the doors open for the evening’s cocktail reception and Fine Art Sale.  Those attending this gala event each have special tickets that can be used to indicate their interest in purchasing any of the artworks for sale.  Interested collectors sign their ticket for the specific artwork and place the ticket in a box next to the work of art.  At the appointed hour of 7:30 p.m., a horn is blown and attendants open up each of the boxes and draw out three tickets.  The names of the purchasers are written on a board next to the work in the order that they were drawn from the box.  Purchasers then have 20 minutes to claim their purchase (yes, they can pass on the purchase) and if they fail to do so, the right to purchase the work will fall to the next purchaser.

Known as the “draw box method”, a couple of million dollars in artwork will be sold in a couple of hours that evening.  Combining those sales with the select works that are auctioned off to the sponsors of the event at Friday night’s Artists’ Dinner, total sales generally exceed $4,000,000.  A portion of each sale is retained by the museum and the Masters event is one of the Autry’s most important fundraising events.

To see the event photos from last year’s Masters of the American West, go to:
http://autry.zenfolio.com/masters2014
If requested, enter the password masters2014.

If you would like to know more about the Masters of the American West, its artists, their work or the schedule of events, please visit:
http://theautry.org/masters-of-the-american-west/masters-of-the-american-west

The Masters of the American West stays on exhibit at the Autry National Center through March 8, 2015 and is well worth your visit to see it.

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