Judges Select Winning Artwork in 44th Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale
Prior to the opening of 44th Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale’s Live Auction Gallery, a carefully selected panel of judges studied the 104 two-dimensional and three-dimensional works in the exhibition. The judges ultimately selected eight artists whose pieces best reflect the mission of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale (BBAS) and represent exceptional craft and quality. The judges announced these eight winners during the Opening Reception generously sponsored by the Chamberlin Inn on Friday, August 15, 2025.
A BBAS subcommittee invites judges who represent three distinct categories within the art world, namely: art education and mentorship, art business, and private collection. This year, the three judges were Caitlin Addlesperger, President & Executive Director at Ucross Foundation, an internationally-known residency program for artists, Sheridan, WY, Bruce Thomson, Advisory Board Member for the University of Wyoming College of Arts and Sciences and Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cheyenne, WY, and Charlee Brotherton, Wapiti, WY, an art collector and Patron of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale.
The Spirit of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale Award Sponsored by The Collier Group
This award recognizes the artwork that is most representative of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale in terms of location, history, and the grandeur embodied by the “spirit” of the American West. The judges awarded this honor to “A Matter of Utmost Urgency”, a 48- by 96-inch oil painting by Santiago Michalek. The energetic painting depicts a steam locomotive moving quickly down a prairie track. An engineer reaches down from the train to grasp a satchel of mail from a pony express rider astride a running horse.
Addlesperger remarked “we loved the movement in this artwork,” and Thomson agreed that the artist captured the urgency of the scene, saying “I sense the moment… I feel it viscerally.” Brotherton applauded the vibrancy of the piece, noting not only the primary subject but also the landscape and clouds that surround the scene.
Thomson spoke to the meaning of Michalek’s painting, calling it “the marriage of Western courage and innovation” to which Addlesperger added “the artist transports us to this moment in history while nodding to the current momentum that Wyoming – and the West – is undergoing”. BBAS would like to thank The Collier Group for the generous sponsorship of this award’s prize money.
Two-Dimensional Award Sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of Billings
The judges selected “We Three Chiefs” by John Potter as the best in show for two-dimensional artwork. Potter’s oil painting is 24 by 36 inches and depicts three chiefs from different indigenous tribes looking over a camp of tipis on the land where the city of Cody now stands. A sunrise illuminates the familiar mountains west of Cody.
“Potter does an excellent job placing the viewer back in time, alongside those who came before us in Cody. The central characters are looking West toward the North Fork,” said Brotherton. Addlesperger observed that she was “struck by the peace and serenity of this scene: the optimism of a new dawn.” Thomson noted a metaphor for change in the scene’s lighting, with the natives “in shadow, and the dawn of a new West breaking on the North Fork.”
BBAS would like to thank Mercedes-Benz of Billings for the generous sponsorship of this award’s prize money.
Three-Dimensional Award
The judges selected “Plein Air” by Jeffrey B. Rudolph as the three-dimensional best in show. Rudolph’s piece is a bronze that measures 23 x 15 x 10 inches. The artist’s subject matter is a cowboy painter standing at an easel showing the impression of a scene of Yellowstone’s Lower Falls. Rudolph is participating in the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale for his 30th year in 2025.
Addlesperger described that “this sculpture invites the viewer into the scene; we are called to first look over the shoulder of the painter, then observe the quiet focus on his face. This piece is a celebration of the creative spirit of the artist – it’s the joy and passion of creation, and it’s the heart of the Buffalo Bill Art Show.”
Brotherton agreed that “the subject matter was spot on with ‘Plein Air’,” and Thomson added that the piece “shows the love of the West in the heart of the Cowboy.”
Thomson found the sculpture “so evocative of the [BBAS] Quick Draw” and a tribute to all of the artists in the show, reminding us that “it’s okay for a cowboy to be a painter!” Brotherton also appreciated the styling of the painter as a true cowboy, observing “look close, he’s wearing Wranglers!”
Judges’ Awards of Excellence
As a mark of the overall quality of the 44th Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, the judges felt it necessary to present five additional Awards of Excellence. They felt the following pieces required recognition for their design, execution, and embodying of the Western spirit:
- Nicholas Coleman, “Long Days, Short Nights”, oil, 30 x 40 inches
- Quang Ho, “Passing Storm in Grand Canyon”, oil, 20 x 28 inches
- Jane Hunt, “Sunset Cast”, oil, 30 x 24 inches
- Thomas Kegler, “Out of the Depths, Job 22:21”, oil, 36 x 24 inches
- Max Werner, “The Sky is Falling”, acrylic, 40 x 47.5 inches.
About BBAS
BBAS limits the number of contemporary Western artists invited each year; the 2025 lineup features 104 artists, all of whom represent a high caliber of artistic knowledge and execution. These artists’ major works are available to view in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West until the Live Auction commences on Friday, September 19. A variety of lectures, workshops, and the local-favorite Quick Draw event also attract hundreds of participants each year.
Organized by the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce, the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale strives to support established and emerging Western artists, engage patrons of the arts, and enliven the Cody community with events that provide education and entertainment. The proceeds from sales and events benefit the artists, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody Country Chamber of Commerce, and local arts organizations.
For more information or to register for events, please visit buffalobillartshow.org