Masters of the American West - 2015

As we approach the first weekend in February, everyone knows that we are all preparing for The Big Event!  Of course, I am talking about the Autry National Center's Masters of the American West.

The Masters of the American West is the premiere annual Western art show, featuring more than 75 of the top, nationally recognized contemporary Western painters and sculptors.

The Masters of the American West is the brainchild of John Geraghty, famed collector of Western art and "Special Master" of the Masters event.  The event is also supported by Jay Grodin, long time Chairman of the event along with the Masters Committee whose members sponsor the event year after year.

Howard Terpning
The Patrol - 1877
Oil, 50" x 52"

The show opens on Saturday, January 31, 2015 with an artist's presentation by the phenomenal wildelife sculptor Walter Matia at 10:30 a.m.,  the Chuck Wagon Luncheon and Award Presentation at noon and a presentation by Amy Scott, Chief Curator and Marilyn B. and Calvin B. Gross Curator of Visual Arts who will moderate a discussion on collecting at 2:00.

Award Winners from 2012 Masters of the American West
Front: Tammy Garcia, Special Master John Geraghty, Howard Terpning, Kyle Polzin
Back: Dean Mitchell, George Carlson, Tucker Smith, Masters Chairman Jay Grodin, Bill Anton & Gerald Balciar

At 5:30, the doors open for the evening's cocktail reception and Fine Art Sale.  Those attending this gala event each have special tickets that can be used to indicate their interest in purchasing any of the artworks for sale.  Interested collectors sign their ticket for the specific artwork and place the ticket in a box next to the work of art.  At the appointed hour of 7:30 p.m., a horn is blown and attendants open up each of the boxes and draw out three tickets.  The names of the purchasers are written on a board next to the work in the order that they were drawn from the box.  Purchasers then have 20 minutes to claim their purchase (yes, they can pass on the purchase) and if they fail to do so, the right to purchase the work will fall to the next purchaser.

Known as the "draw box method", a couple of million dollars in artwork will be sold in a couple of hours that evening.  Combining those sales with the select works that are auctioned off to the sponsors of the event at Friday night's Artists' Dinner, total sales generally exceed $4,000,000.  A portion of each sale is retained by the museum and the Masters event is one of the Autry's most important fundraising events.

To see the event photos from last year's Masters of the American West, go to:
http://autry.zenfolio.com/masters2014
If requested, enter the password masters2014.

If you would like to know more about the Masters of the American West, its artists, their work or the schedule of events, please visit:
http://theautry.org/masters-of-the-american-west/masters-of-the-american-west

The Masters of the American West stays on exhibit at the Autry National Center through March 8, 2015 and is well worth your visit to see it.


TinyURL for this post is: http://tinyurl.com/jimrea-masters-2015

My pledge to you is to professionally handle all of your real estate needs whether it is searching for a new home or property, selling one that you already have or helping you address your real estate needs anywhere in the world. My goal is to make your real estate experience pleasant, productive, focused and hassle free.

I would love to discuss any real estate needs that you may have.  Please give me a call at any time.

Jim Rea, Realtor
Sotheby's International Realty - Pacific Palisades 
(424) 354-0790
Jim@JimRea.com

Paintout at Ventura Farms

Last Saturday, the Autry National Center's Masters of the American West Committee, in association with the California Art Club, hosted their 7th Annual Plein Air Paintout and Luncheon at the incredible Ventura Farms in Thousand Oaks, California.  This was the second time the event was held at Ventura Farms, the Arabian Horse ranch and retreat owned by David Murdock, the Chairman and owner of Dole Foods.

Nearly 40 artists from the California Art Club (http://www.californiaartclub.org) and from the Autry's Masters of the American West Fine Art Exhibition and Sale (http://theautry.org/get-involved/masters-of-the-american-west) spread out across the grounds of Ventura Farms to paint scenes taken from the immaculately groomed estate.

Just one of the lushly landscaped gardens

Conchita O'Kane works on her painting

John Geraghty, Special Advisor to the Masters of the American West and
grandkids chat with exuberant Russian painter Alexey Steele
and Olga Vlasova.

Guests wandered around the gardens, talking with artists, enjoying the estate and chatting with other patrons.  One of the most stunning aspects of the grounds are the huge, sinuous river boulders that Murdock had excavated and shipped from the River Kwai in Thailand.  They dot the entire estate and are a remarkable presence.  Weighing several tons each, some of these stones stand twenty to thirty feet tall and each one has a life if its own.

The boulders along the promenade

Morgan Weistling working with a model

Autry's new CEO Dan Finley and his wife Jennifer meet Ernie and Donna Schroeder

Z. S. Liang paints the Chinese pavillion

The grounds include a large pond that holds several thousand Koi fish.  An oriental bridge connects the grounds to an island where a Japanese pagoda rests.  This scenic setting has been featured in several movies over the years.  Also, a smaller Koi pond is inside of the Chinese Pavillion along with fabulous examples of carved jade art and other Asian masterpieces.

CAC President Peter Adams paints the pagoda scene at the Koi pond

Dan Pinkham painting high above one of the several rose gardens

Smaller Koi pond inside of the Chinese Pavillion

Carved jade panel inside the Chinese Pavillion

Lunch was served in the Conservatory, a giant hothouse filled with hundreds (if not thousands) of orchids and a central area with marble floors ... definitely the nicest greenhouse I have ever seen.

Lunch in the Conservatory

A tiny sample of the orchids in the Conservatory

All in all, it was an amazing afternoon that is hardly describable.  Thanks to David Murdock for his generosity in opening his wonderful estate to all of us.

I posted all of my images from the event online at: http://s563.photobucket.com/albums/ss72/jarea6020/Autry%20Paintout%20at%20Ventura%20Farms%202010/  Enjoy them.

That is it for this post and as always, if I can be of any assistance to you or any of your friends, family or colleagues with any of your real estate needs (residential, commercial or otherwise) or if I can help find a real estate professional for you to work with in your local community, please let me know.  It would be my pleasure to help.

Jim Rea
Keller Willliams Palisades

Autry Gala

We attended the 23rd outing of the annual gala at the Autry National Center last night.  It was a bittersweet moment because it was our last chance to see outgoing President and CEO John Gray who is retiring to a gentleman rancher/farmer's life in Dixon, New Mexico.  John's very capable shoes are being filled by Dan Finley, the former CEO of the Milwaukee Public Museum where he received high marks for his stewardship there.  We met Dan's lovely wife Jenifer, who is also the leader of a non-profit in Orange County.

We were also sad to say goodbye to our dear friend Anna Norville who is leaving the Autry's development department to serve as Executive Director of Major Gifts at USC.  Any USC fans out there who would like to get to know Anna, please let me know.  I'll be happy to introduce you.

At the silent auction, we were lucky to pick up a mixed case of very nice wine, donated by our friends Sharon and Rich Allen, long-time members of the Autry Gala Commitee.  We also picked up a weekend stay at the Glendale Hilton that will certainly come in handy when the Masters of the American West rolls around next year.

We were fortunate to join join Jay Grodin, Chairman of the Autry Master's Committee at his table along with John Geraghty - the perpetual sparkplug behind the Masters of the American West and his sweet wife SaraLynn.  Also at the table were artist Robert Peters and his wife Nanette.  Robert contributed the beautiful oil painting "Spring Into Summer" to be auctioned off at the gala dinner.

Spring Into Summer - 30 x 40 Oil - Robert Peters

Adding to the special evening was the fact that it was Jackie Autry's birthday.  What a wonderful way to celebrate the woman who has done so much for the Autry.  The special honoree for the evening was Merle Haggard who was presented with the Spirit of the West Award by Jackie Autry.  Entertainment during the dinner was provided by the trio Texas Tenors, who won Best Vocal Group in the 2009 America's Got Talent competition.

After the dinner, we had drinks, cigars (rolled on site by an artisan from Tambor Dominicano) and dance music was provided by Caught Red Handed.  It was a wonderful evening and thankfully, the micro-thunderstorms that have been popping up all over town in recent days decided to stay away.

That is it for this post and as always, if I can be of any assistance to you or any of your friends, family or colleagues with any of your real estate needs (residential, commercial or otherwise) or if I can help find a real estate professional for you to work with in your local community, please let me know.  It would be my pleasure to help.