MUSEUM REPORT
W
hen the bulk of the awards were
handed out for the Prix de West on
June 7 in Oklahoma City, one name
was noticeably absent. Noticeably because
Paul Moore brought what many observers
thought was his one of his finest presentation
of bronzes. But, as is customary at the Prix, two
awards are held back for the following day, at
which point all was made more clear: Moore
would claim two top honors, the Museum
Purchase Award and the Robert Lougheed
Memorial Award.
“This is mind-blowing. Totally unexpected
and overwhelming,” he said during his
acceptance of the award. Moore later added
that an early visit to the museum inspired
him to become an artist. “It really stuck with
me throughout my whole life and made me
want to do major monuments. If it wasn’t for
the [museum] and seeing that, my whole life
would be different.”
Moore’s piece that won the Museum
Purchase Award, and will now enter the
museum’s collection, was a work titled The
Procession, a bronze that was a mixture of
framed work of art, bas relief and furniture. Thepiece was displayed on top of a wooden table
that was also designed and built by Moore,
who is going to recreate the table for each
edition of the bronze.
The Prix de West, which opened on June 7
at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage
Museum in Oklahoma City, featured
the work of 99 artists.
The opening weekend
events, which included art
demos and an educational
symposium, also featured a
sale that realized nearly $3
million, including $210,000
from a live auction portion
on June 8. More than 2,150
people attended the three-
day opening weekend.
“This is the premier
Western invitational art
exhibition in the world,
and the quality of art this
year is extraordinary,” says
Natalie Shirley, president
of the National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum.“Not only is this world-class art on display
through August 4 for anyone to enjoy, but
there are still a number of pieces available for
purchase.”
Other award winners were: Curt Walters,
who won the buyer’s choice award; Benjamin
Wu won the Frederic Remington
Painting Award; Ross Matteson
won the wildlife award; the
James Earle Fraser Sculpture
Award was presented to Steve
Kestrel; the Great American
Cowboy Award, honoring the
finest portrayal of cowboy
subject matter, was presented
to Mehl Lawson; T. Allen
Lawson won the Donald
Teague Memorial Award; and
Len Chmiel won the Wilson
Hurley Memorial Award for
landscape painting.Prix Procession
Sculptor Paul Moore wins big at the annual
Prix de West exhibition in Oklahoma City.Paul Moore accepts the Prix de West
Museum Purchase Award.
Paul Moore, The Procession,
bronze, 52 x 35½ x 13”The entrance to the Prix de West exhibit at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.Museum in Oklahoma City, featured Wu won the Frederic RemingtonJames Earle Fraser Sculpture