Ad club sale showcases 261 pieces

The Great Falls Ad Club will present 261 pieces of art, many by newcomers to the C.M.

Russell Auction, at the Heritage Inn on Friday and Saturday nights.

The star of the show is expected to be a small oil on board, "Passing an Obstruction at

Night Creek," by John Mix Stanley, 1814-1872.

A New Yorker orphaned at the age of 12, Stanley moved west in 1832 to become a painter

of signs and portraits, but Indians became his prime specialty. More than 200 of his

works were destroyed by the Smithsonian fire of 1865.

For the first time since 2007, the auction catalog has estimated price ranges for the

work. Stanley's 10-by-12 3/4 oil is listed between $225,000 and $275,000.

Other highlights of the Saturday night auction include "Chilton's Barn," a 36-by-45-

inch gouache by Gordon Snidow, which is valued between $135,000 and $150,000; "The Mad

Cow," an 18-by-22-inch oil by O.C. Seltzer, which is estimated between $40,000 and

$60,000; and "Ambush on the Bandit Trail," a 30-by-45 inch oil by Andy Thomas, which is

expected to bring between $37,000 and $43,000.

For the Ad Club's 42nd auction, Steve Seltzer, who lives in Great Falls, and Bob Morgan

of Clancy have two paintings up for sale over the two nights; they're the only artists

to have participated in the auction since its inception in 1969.

There also are several Ace Powell oils, including a 20-inch-by-30-inch painting titled,

"Prairie Powwow."

Sherry Salari Sander has a beautiful big bronze, "Horses of the Mountain," that's 38

inches long and 18 inches high and is expected to bring about $15,000. Gary Lynn

Roberts adds a 24-by-36 inch oil, "Pride," that's valued between $10,000 and $11,000.

There are two small Russell bronzes, but no other works by the auction's namesake.

Tom Gilleon of Cascade is offering one of his iconoclastic tepees, a 30-by-30-inch oil

titled, "Mountain Crow Horses," and Larry Zabel has a 30-by-40-inch acrylic, "The

Buckskin."

There also is a pair of almost impressionistic oils by Tara Moore: "Roping Duo" and

"Hold Your Horses," as well as two colorful paintings by Carol Hagan titled "Don't Mess

with Momma" and "Brown Noser."

"We're very excited by the offerings of some artists who are new to our show," said the

Ad Club's art coordinator Duane Braaten.

Check out "The Fledgling," a 24-by-36 inch oil by Bryce Cameron Liston of Halladay,

Utah, that's valued between $7,500 and $8,500; "Sky High," a 36-by-30 oil by native

Calgarian Michelle Grant that's estimated between $6,600 and $7,000; and "Catching

Rain" by Tamara Rymer, a watercolor of two intricate vases that should run around

$2,000.

Added to the cost of each piece is a 10 percent buyers' premium, 13 percent if paid by

credit card.

The Ad Club is planning a new event on Thursday called the Magnificent Seven, in which

seven artists create a work over several hours.

The C.M. Russell Auction's Quick Draws and live auctions will be Friday and Saturday

evenings, as in the past. The Ad Club's art preview reception, held in recent years on

Thursday evening at the Russell Museum, will be moved to the Heritage Inn.