Ed Mell saw the American Southwest like no other

Ed Mell’s ‘Red Rock,’ a large oil painting from 1980, achieved $30,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2021. Image courtesy of Freeman’s Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.
Ed Mell’s ‘Red Rock,’ a large oil painting from 1980, achieved $30,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2021. Image courtesy of Freeman’s Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.
Ed Mell’s ‘Red Rock,’ a large oil painting from 1980, achieved $30,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2021. Image courtesy of Freeman’s Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Arizona native Ed Mell (1942-2024) forged a career painting the rugged landscapes of the American Southwest, from Modernist-looking images of jagged cliffs and billowing clouds that swept over the desert to blooming cactus flowers and herds of longhorn cattle. Capturing the intense light and striking landforms of the region is no easy feat. Countless artists have done it before, so the views are familiar to audiences. Yet, in Mell’s paintings, what viewers see is a fresh, abstracted take, in keeping with a new era of Southwest modernism.

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Laumeister collection of Western and wildlife art roars into Hindman Aug. 29

Barney Boller, ‘Torpedo,’ estimated at $1,500-$2,500 at Hindman.

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DENVER – Hindman will offer the Laumeister collection of Western and wildlife art in a pair of sales taking place late in August. Part 1 is scheduled for Tuesday, August 29, and Part II takes the form of an online timed auction that closes on Wednesday, August 30. Absentee and Internet live bidding for both will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Bruce Laumeister and his second wife, Elizabeth Small, were long involved with the Bennington Center of the Arts, a 36,000-square-foot facility in Bennington, Vermont. Before Laumeister’s death on May 26 of this year, the couple transferred ownership of the venue to the Society of Animal Artists.

That generous gift reveals, at least in part, the couple’s tastes in art. Many of the pieces in the two sales showcase wild animals, from grizzly bears to rhinos to foxes to otters.

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Dan Smith, ‘Riverbank Refreshment,’ estimated at $5,000-$7,000 at Hindman.
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Bob Kuhn, ‘Winter Chase,’ estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at Hindman.
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Jan Martin McGuire, ‘Dust Devil,’ estimated at $2,000-$3,000 at Hindman.
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Barney Boller, ‘Torpedo,’ estimated at $1,500-$2,500 at Hindman.
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New Frontier to auction prized Old West & Native artifacts from major collections, Aug. 26 

Show-stopping late-1890s Sioux buckskin war shirt decorated with pony beads, trimmed with fringe and accented by uncommon trade-cloth trim. Great eye appeal. Estimate $4,500-$6,500

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Collectors of genuine Old West, cowboy and Native American art and relics are getting ready to “saddle up” and head out to historic Cheyenne, Wyoming for one of the year’s most spirited gatherings: New Frontier’s big August 25-27 Show & Auction at the Laramie County Event Center at Archer. Absentee and live-online auction bidding will be available during the auction through LiveAuctioneers.

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Strength of Western art market was validated at Lebel’s Santa Fe show

A tremendous variety of Western and Native art and antiques graced this room display created by Joe Fionda of Lufkin, Texas. Image courtesy of Brian Lebel’s Old West Events

SANTA FE, N.M. – Visitors from throughout the United States as well as Canada, Mexico, Germany, Belgium and Japan converged on New Mexico’s state capital over the weekend of June 23-25 for the sole purpose of shopping at Brian Lebel’s incomparable Cody Old West Show & Auction, now in its 33rd year.

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Morphy’s new venture with Lebel’s Old West Events was off to a roaring start, June 23-25

Fine circa-1930s Edward H. Bohlin sterling silver parade saddle with outstanding leather and silver carving, and silver conchos. Provenance: H.C. Lewis Collection; Butterfield & Butterfield 1989 auction; Guess Jeans collection; Tucson, Arizona, private collection. Sold above high estimate for $50,820

SANTA FE, N.M. – An affinity for the lore and history of the American West was the common denominator that connected premier dealers with enthusiastic collectors at Brian Lebel’s 33rd annual Cody Old West Show & Auction held June 23-25 at the Community Convention Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A much-anticipated highlight of the long weekend was a June 24 onsite auction of Western and Native American relics, produced in association with Morphy Auctions. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Saddle up for Brian Lebel’s Santa Fe Old West Show & Auction, June 23-25

One-of-a-kind pair of Tony Lama ‘El Rey II’ handmade cowboy boots. Custom-ordered from Luskey’s 1966 catalog by a Route 66 service station owner, Ted Jenkins of Vernal, Utah, to display as a roadside tourist attraction. Premium-grade black calf with inlaid gold leaf and 54 carats of diamonds, rubies and sapphires. Estimate $20,000-$30,000. Morphy Auctions image

SANTA FE, N.M. – Buyers, sellers, collectors, and enthusiasts of Western and Native American memorabilia, or anyone who is just discovering this red-hot collecting category, should mark their calendars for June 23-25. Those are the dates for Brian Lebel’s 33rd annual Cody Old West Show & Auction, to be held in the Santa Fe Community Convention Center at 201 West Marcy Street in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The auction is produced in association with Morphy’s, and absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Western & Contemporary Native American Art sale tops $2M at Hindman

John Nieto, ‘Poised Coyote,’ $63,000. Image courtesy of Hindman
John Nieto, ‘Poised Coyote,’ $63,000. Image courtesy of Hindman
John Nieto, ‘Poised Coyote,’ $63,000. Image courtesy of Hindman

DENVER – Western artists ranging from historic painters such as Albert Bierstadt, William R. Leigh and Leon Shulman Gaspard to contemporary names such as Ed Mell, Jeremy Lipking and John Nieto achieved outstanding prices during Hindman’s May 4 Western & Contemporary Native American Art auction. Contemporary Native American artists were also among top performers, led once again by an iconic Fritz Scholder work, Indian at the Bar. Paintings by Native American artists such as Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith and Kay WalkingStick were also among the highlights. With a lively room of bidders and strong competition from the phones and online platforms, the auction ultimately realized more than $2 million, with 94 percent of lots sold.

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Artemis Gallery to host Mar. 9 auction of exceptional ancient, ethnographic & fine art

Published Egyptian New Kingdom (latter 18th Dynasty, reign of Thutmose IV to Amenhotep III) polychrome stone panel wall painting from tomb of Neb-Amun (TT90) in Thebes, circa 1401-1353 BCE. Panel size: 12in wide x 11.125in high. Custom stand included. First time at auction. Estimate $15,000-$22,500

BOULDER, Colo. – Some of the world’s finest collections of ancient, cultural and ethnographic art include impeccably curated and well provenanced pieces that were acquired through Artemis Gallery. Internationally known and frequently called upon for expert consultation, Artemis Gallery’s specialists delight in creating diverse auction selections like the one that awaits bidders on Thursday, March 9. The lineup includes many incomparable items that have never before appeared at auction. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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Morphy Auctions announces collaboration with Brian Lebel’s Old West Events

 

DENVER, Pa. – Dan Morphy, founder and president of Morphy Auctions, announced today that Brian Lebel’s Old West Events and Cody Old West Show & Auction have integrated with Morphy’s in an initiative that will benefit dealers and collectors of Western antiques and firearms in several significant ways.

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Morphy’s Dec. 19-20 Fine & Decorative Arts Auction adds quality and beauty to the holidays

Exquisite signed/numbered Tiffany Studios Nasturtium table lamp with 19in (dia.) leaded-glass shade featuring multicolored confetti glass tiles and flowers in various shades of red, orange, purple and yellow against a green ground. Tiffany-stamped telescoping cat’s-paw base. Excellent condition. Estimate $120,000-$160,000

DENVER, Pa. – Arguably, Morphy’s most-loved sale from its always-busy calendar of events, the annual pre-Christmas Fine & Decorative Arts Auction consistently delivers luxury, rarity and peerless quality to discerning collectors and holiday gift-givers. This year’s edition, which will be held on December 19 and 20, is brimming with superior jewels and watches, paintings, art pottery, silver, and dazzling Tiffany Studios lamps. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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