a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
welcome to the Western & wildlife art show!
There are so many exciting things planned for the 2025 show. Click the Exhibiting Artists tab to find out who is coming, and what kinds of amazing art they are bringing.
New this year: Presenters from Humanities Nebraska - songs and stories of the American West. See the Daily Schedule and New Hours on the More tab!
2025 Featured Artist - Kathy Sigle
Kathy's work was honored by the Board of Directors in 2024, naming her the 2025 Show's Featured Artist.
Read about Kathy, 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."
Pictured to the left is Kathy's 2025 Featured Artwork, New Discoveries. The winsome image is a graphite drawing on clayboard with a watercolor wash.
2024 Featured Artist - Wade Friedlan
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.
2023 Featured Artist - Virginia Coudron
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 work can be found in galleries and private collections across the Midwest and Europe.
Below is Virginia's 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.