Ed Mell        "Desert Diamond"     oil     40" x 30"

    Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson, Arizona is presenting new works by Ed Mell. This outstanding collection of newly created works will be on display from February 27th through April 3rd. The artist's reception is set for Saturday, February 27th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

For more information about Ed Mell's One-Man Show at Medicine Man Gallery, please visit their web site at: www.medicinemangallery.com

Ed Mell San Rafael Longhron oil    30" x 44"	Ed Mell Chinle Butte oil    30" x 40"

Ed Mell Carved Canyon oil    20" x 36"	Ed Mell Storm's Downpour oil    32" x 48"

Gus Foster        "Cirque Of The Towers"    

   The Western Art Associates, a Phoenix Art Museum support group, is hosting a biennial fundraiser called "West Select" from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., Friday, March 19, 2010 at Phoenix Art Museum. Everyone is invited to join in the event, enjoy the art, hors d’oeuvres, drinks, live music, and to vote for your favorite work of art.

   The biennial event will feature five works of art from which ticket holders have an opportunity to vote for their favorite. The one with the most votes will be purchased by the Western Art Associates, and will join the Museum's permanent collection of Western American art. "This is a wonderful way for our support group to expand the Museum’s Western Art Collection," says Myra Page, this year’s West Select Committee Chair. The selection of art on display will represent a wide spectrum of Western American styles, with fines examples of both historical and contemporary art that relate to the American West. Not announced until the night of the event, all items will be pre-approved by the Museum Board’s Collection Committee. The work receiving the most votes will be announced toward the end of the evening.

   "It is a fun event that allows people to look closely at a variety of images to see what they like best," says Jerry N. Smith, curator of American and Western American art.

   "The selection will not be an easy one, as each item will be a quality example that will benefit and connect to the Museum's existing holdings. Some works being considered will stand out as something completely different, while others are more traditional and connect to several areas within the collection," Smith said. As happened in 2008 at the inaugural event, along with the group-selected work of art, others may be added to the collection through the generosity of individuals, sometimes working together to see their favorite hang in the Museum. Further, works not purchased for the Museum may be available for individual collectors, with the hope that they will be promised to the Museum in the future.

   "When this event was first held two years ago, all five works sold. Four came into the collection immediately, and the fifth is now a promised gift," Smith explained.

   Of the five shown in the previous event, the winner was Gus Foster’s Cirque of the Towers, 1990 (shown above). Three of the others were purchased by individuals and groups of people and given to the Museum. The fifth was purchased by a local collector.

   As a support group of Phoenix Art Museum, Western Art Associates hosts this fundraiser as one of its activities to help provide new art for the Museum. Admission is $95, dress is casual, and the fun kicks off at 6:30. For information, please call 602-307-2070.

Dan Naminga      "Montage #3"     acylic     20" x 60"

   Ann Korologos Gallery will be hosting a One-Man show for Dan Naminga with the opening reception set for Thursday, February 18th from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

   Dan Namingha is a highly acclaimed painter and sculptor, collected by dozens of museums and important collections throughout the world. Of Hopi ancestry, Namingha mixes his native heritage with his distinctive contemporary style to create his accomplished work. Mr. Namingha will offer a talk and slide show at the reception beginning at 5:30 p.m.

   The gallery is located in Basalt, Colorado.

For more information about this show at Ann Korologos Gallery, click on their web link: www.korologosgallery.com

Dan Naminga "Mana" acrylic    36" x 36"	Dan Naminga "Deer Kachina #2" acrylic    24" x 20"

   The art world has lost one of it's best and most prominent western painters, James Elwood Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds, a long-time member of the Cowboy Artists of America passed away at his home on February 8, 2010 with his son Chris and his companion Sheila Cottrell by his side.

   Born in Taft, California, James spent his youth visiting his grandmother and the neighboring ranches in the Sierras. During this time, he learned first-hand the working life of the cowboy. His interest in art was sparked by a calendar featuring a Frank Tenney Johnson painting. After service in the U.S. Navy, Jim attended the Kahn Institute of Art in Los Angeles, California and then the School of Allied Arts in Glendale, California on the G.I. bill. Reynolds' first paying job as an illustrator was for Lockheed Aircraft. His illustrative career turned in a different direction when he turned his sights on the movie industry where he spent 15 years creating drawings and paintings for major studios Disney, Fox and Columbia. His movie credits include The Dairy of Anne Frank, The Long, Hot Summer, and My Fair Lady.

   In 1967, with interest in his fine art paintings growing and his deep love of the west, he moved to Sedona, Arizona. Jim met Joe Beeler and Charlie Dye, founding members of the Cowboy Artists of America. Soon after this meeting, Jim was invited to join their organization.

   During his long career, Reynolds' has won numerous awards including the prestigious Prix de West Purchase Award at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Musuem and the Thomas Moran Memorial Award at the Autry National Center's "Masters of the American West Exhibition".

Tom Lovell, Joe Beeler & James Reynolds

James Reynolds    "Spring Lake"	James Reynolds    "Team Work"