THE WESTERN & WILDLIFE ART SHOW is LIVE each year July 2nd through July 4th, at historic Fort Robinson State Park, Nebraska. The Western & Wildlife Art Show is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation operating under the name Fort Robinson Centennial, Inc. The Art Show has been an annual event since 1973 - in 2023, it celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Local, regional, and out-of-state artists apply and are vetted by the Board of Directors, bringing the finest quality workmanship to the show year after year.
A highlight each year is the “Best of Show” award, given in both the 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional categories, chosen by a judge from outside the show. Another favorite is the “People’s Choice” award, chosen by the vote of patrons viewing the show. Making its debut in 2024 is the "Excellence in Art" award, honoring an artist whose work especially seems to capture the show's themes of the great outdoors and traditional western lifestyle. At the conclusion of each year's show, the Board of Directors announces its choice for the subsequent year's Featured Artist.
Always a favorite, The Children’s Wall of Art Contest is July 3rd from 10am - 12noon for age groups 2 to 18 years old. Registration includes a permission slip and a small fee for materials to create a piece of art on-site, with no assistance - only moral support - from parents. Awards will be presented at 1pm after the judge selects 3 winners in each age group.
The Western & Wildlife Art Show proudly presents the juried art of over twenty artists from across the country. The gallery will be opened at no charge to the general public, 9am - 7pm July 2nd and 3rd, and 9am - 5pm July 4th. Artists have a wide variety of their work for sale in their individual booths.
We hope you will join us to experience this iconic local event, held in the Veterinary Hospital at Historic Ft. Robinson State Park.
A Fort Robinson/NE State Park permit is required - violators will be ticketed by Park Police.
Limited handicapped parking is available.
PLEASE LEAVE PETS AT HOME - service animals are welcome.
Kathy's work was honored by the Board of Directors in 2024, naming her the 2025 Show's Featured Artist.
Read about Kathy here, in her own words...
"The western way of life has always played an important role in my life. I grew up with horses, and many times visited my grandparents' farm, spending time around "Bessie" the milk cow, as well as herds of cattle in the pasture. I have spent countless hours on real working ranches, gathering reference material that at some point always ends up in one of my paintings.
The authentic western lifestyle is slipping away and I want to capture it with my brush while I can. Those snapshots of iconic moments in time excite me and spur me on to keep them alive for others to see and experience."
"The versatility of watercolor is what I most enjoy. After many years as an artist, the "unknown" delights while painting continue to fascinate me. I'm dedicated to reproducing great detail in my painting, building up the images layer by layer with extremely thin glazes. This building up process produces the depth which allow my paintings to come to life."
Be sure to check back after the first of the year for the Featured Artwork from Kathy for the 2025 Western & Wildlife Art Show.
Wade's work was honored by the Board of Directors in 2023, naming him the 2024 Show's Featured Artist.
Wade Friedlan is an artist from Scottsbluff, Nebraska with a passion for painting the beauty of the landscape surrounding him.
He is self-taught, with over 33 years of experience.
In his pursuit of a deeper understanding of light and shadow, his medium of choice is oils. Painting has given him many professional art mentors--most notably, a 10 year apprenticeship with Ziya Nuri Sever, MFA.
Wade has shown in many art exhibitions throughout the Wyobraska region for over 25 years,
and is especially proud of his work in The Poudre Valley Artist League 1995 National Exhibition.
Wade’s art is a combination of his love for traditional oil techniques as well as his love for the legacy of the West. He finds Western art endlessly fascinating and challenging. He often ventures into the great outdoors, immersing himself in his subject matter.
Wade loves nature, history, and Western culture. Each painting is a window into what he finds beautiful about the west -- the paradoxical calm and severity of the prairie -- the fascinating place he calls home.
Pictured here at left is his 2024 Featured Artwork, Country Besties.
Virginia Coudron, an award-winning artist from Brookings, South Dakota, displays her artwork at many shows in the Midwest. Virginia works in oils, acrylic and pencil using a representational style depicting western, historical, wildlife, landscapes, as well as a contemporary series called The Human Land TM - original art depicting the human form as a part of the land and nature. She has previously won The Western Wildlife Art Show's Best of Show and People’s Choice awards. Her works can be found in galleries and private collections across the Midwest and Europe.
Below is her gorgeous Featured Artist piece for the 2023 show,
Wisdom of the Past
Virginia works for South Dakota State University, University Relations as a publication’s designer. She is also a founding member of ARTIST RIDETM, an invitation-only event for contemporary western artists who meet once a year on the Shearer ranch near Wall, South Dakota. The event features historical re-enactments as reference materials for use by artists. ARTIST RIDETM has been featured on television in the US and Europe and has been written up in the Smithsonian, Art of the West, Southwest Art and many other magazines.
PO Box 531, Crawford, Nebraska 69339, United States
Copyright © 2024 Western Wildlife Art Show - All Rights Reserved.
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