Each year the “Cowgirl Up!” exhibition and sale makes it easy to find new work from the best women artists of the American West. Record sales and exciting awards have already marked the 2014 edition.
“Cowgirl Up!,” an important exhibition for women artists and for art of the American West, enjoyed a very successful opening weekend on March 21-23. Hosted by the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, this annual exhibition and sale brings together some of the country’s finest female artists working in the Western genre. The 2014 exhibition features 57 premier women artists and more than 200 original works of art.
The artists featured in the 2014 “Cowgirl Up!” exhibition and sale
Opening weekend art sales amounted to $482,000, establishing a new record for the event. “Cowgirl Up!” is the largest fundraiser for the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, and proceeds from the sale go toward the museum’s operational budget.
During opening sales night on March 21, 10 different artists were honored with awards of excellence for their work. Donna Howell-Sickles took Best of Show, and Maura Allen won the 2014 Museum Purchase Award. First-time “Cowgirl Up!” exhibitor Terry Cooke Hall of Bozeman, Montana, earned the prestigious Artists’ Choice Award and a complimentary half-page ad in Fine Art Connoisseur.Darcie Peet was awarded First Place Two-Dimensional on Canvas, and Rox Corbett took First Place Two-Dimensional on Paper. Corbett scored again in the People’s Choice Award, while the Governor’s Choice went to Sheila Cottrell. In the sculpture category, Debora Copenhaver took First Place for Three-Dimensional Work.
The exciting “Cowgirl Up!” exhibition will be on view through May 4, and all unsold artwork remains available for purchase. The Desert Caballeros Western Museum is located at 21 North Frontier Street in historic downtown Wickenburg. For more information on “Cowgirl Up!” or the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, call 928.684.2272 or visit the museum website.
