The Desert Caballeros Western Museum would like to sincerely thank the artists, sponsors, patrons and the Town of Wickenburg for another successful opening weekend celebration. The 19th annual Cowgirl Up! exhibition is officially on view and open for sales through September 1, 2024. We are also pleased to announce this year’s winners of our juried competition. The awards are as follows:
Cowgirl Up! 2024 Award Winners
Best of Show
Best of Show was awarded to new artist Georgia Rowswell for her mind-blowing textile artwork titled, “Thunderhead off Happy Jack Road”.
The Museum Purchase Award
The Museum Purchase Award went to the large scale bronze sculpture by Liz Wolf titled, “Dreams in Flight”.
Best Three Dimensional Award
Rosetta’s “Spirit Brothers” sculpture got the Best Three Dimensional Award.
Best Two Dimensional Works on Paper Award
“Who Will Get the First One?”, a colored pencil drawing on antique paper by another newcomer, Dolores Purdy, got the Best Two Dimensional Works on Paper Award
Best Two Dimensional on Canvas Award
And, yet another new “Cowgirl Up!” artist, Crystal Orlando was chosen for the Best Two Dimensional on Canvas Award for her charcoal and graphite on canvas piece titled, “High Plains Drifter”. Crystal’s piece was also selected to be a Museum purchase and is now destined for its permanent collection. “Cowgirl Up!” artwork is now on sale in the main Museum.
Other awards include:
Director’s Choice Award: Karen Clarkson’s, “Diné Royalty”.
The Western Art Collector Editor’s Choice Award: Sharon Standridge for “What in the Blue Blazes is that Greenhorn Doing Now”.
Artists’ Choice Award: Harper Henry
Patron’s Choice Award: Crystal Orlando
And three one year subscriptions to Art of the West magazine were given to, Harper Henry, Dolores Purdy and Rosetta.
2024 People's Choice Award!
The 19th Annual “Cowgirl Up!” People’s Choice Award was a thrillingly close contest, with the top three artists separated by just a single vote each. After meticulously recounting, the final tally stands: 1) Georgina Rowswell’s textile art masterpiece, “Red Canyon Rim” received 121 votes; 2) Crystal Orlando’s “High Plains Drifter” received 120 votes; and, last but not least 3) Julie Nighswonger’s “Seek Peace” got 119 votes.
The extremely tight race saw 4,261 total votes cast during the exhibition, with 560 coming in August alone. The next closest contenders were Judith Durr with “The Rose” at 113 votes and Georgina Rowswell’s “Wind River Reservoir” at 112 votes.
Interestingly, Rowswell and Orlando also garnered the highest collective votes across all their works, receiving 268 and 241 votes, respectively.
All ballots will be delivered to the museum this Wednesday for review, ensuring transparency in the results. Congratulations to all the talented artists!
Mark your calendars for the opening weekend of the 20th annual “Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West” scheduled for March 28 – May 25, 2025.
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