From the Editor
subscribeto southwestart!Visitsubscribenow.southwestart.comAUGUST 2019 • WWW.SOUTHWESTART.COM 15Butterfly & Bitterroots by Steve Kestrel.and the Jackie L. Coles Buyers’ Choice Award went to
A CHASM OF SUBLIME by Curt Walters. Finally, one of
the most ambitious paintings I’ve ever seen at Prix de
West won the Donald Teague Memorial Award for a
work on paper: T. A l len L awson’s BLACK ANGUS, which
measures 5 feet tall and 8 feet wide, is a true tour de
force. It is a monumental achievement in every sense
of the word, and I urge you—if you’re anywhere near
Oklahoma this summer—to see it before the exhibition
closes in August.Kristin Hoerth
[email protected]WELCOME TO this month’s special
issue focusing on The New West, in
which we turn the spotlight on artists
who offer contemporary interpreta-
tions of traditional western subjects.
We begin with Utah painter David
Dibble, our cover artist, whose so-
phisticated renditions of barns in
the landscape have a lot to say about
western heritage and values. We also introduce a ris-
ing star, Abigail Gutting, and learn what’s behind her
unique cowboy paintings fi lled with texture, move-
ment, and emotion. We explore the vibrant work of
New Mexico artist Jennifer Cavan, who captures the
essence of New Mexico’s rural villages. Finally we
turn to the world of sculpture and talk with Michael
Tatom, whose bronzes of western wildlife—wolves,
elk, longhorns, and more—are full of sleek, minimal-
ist surfaces.
Speaking of sculpture: I was happy to see an un-
usually high number of sculptures take top awards at
this year’s Prix de West Invitational, held in June at
the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in
Oklahoma City. The biggest prize—the Prix de West
Purchase Award—went to Paul Moore for THE PRO-
CESSION, a remarkable 13-inch-deep bas-relief; Moore
also won the Robert Lougheed Memorial Award,
selected by the participating artists, for his overall
body of work. In addition, two awards that often
go to paintings were bestowed upon sculptures this
year: The Express Ranches Great American Cowboy
Award went to Mehl Lawson for NOON BREAK, and
the Major General and Mrs. Don D. Pittman Wildlife
Art Award went to Ross Matteson for PUNALU’U. Last
but certainly not least, the James Earle Fraser Sculp-
ture Award went to Steve Kestrel for BUTTERFLY &
BITTERROOTS.
Aside from sculpture, four impressive paintings
were honored. The Frederic Remington Painting
Award went to COMING TO THE WEST by Benjamin
Wu; the Wilson Hurley Memorial Award for land-
scape painting went to LOST IN SPACE by Len Chmiel;MIKE BUCHER
Spotlight on the West
A roundup of Prix de West award winners