35th Annual
Memorial Day Weekend
Western Art Show and Sale

Thirty five years ago a group of dedicated artists and art enthusiasts, who looked to George Phippen as their friend and mentor, established the first ever Phippen Memorial Western Art Show and Sale in Prescott, Arizona — the Cowboy Capital of the American West. This group included Don Polland, Jack Osmer, Bill and Merry Nebeker, Ray and Gary Swanson, Chuck Nicholas, Dorothy Chafin, Lois Smith, Fred Wakeland and Mary Scott among others. They all shared the dream of building a Western Art Museum right here in Prescott in honor of George Phippen and his legacy. Ten years later, the Phippen Museum of Western Art opened its doors to the public. The Memorial Show and Sale still continues to be the Museum’s signature fundraiser.

In 2009, the Phippen Memorial Foundation will celebrate the 35th Annual Phippen Memorial Western Art Show and Sale on May 22–25, on the historic Courthouse Plaza in Prescott. This highly anticipated event continues to be Arizona’s premier outdoor western art show, and features over 130 of the very best western artists and sculptures presenting Art of the American West in oil, watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, pastels, sculpture and drawings from all around the country. Event hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday & Sunday and 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday, Memorial Day. Admission is free.

In addition to the Show and Sale on the Courthouse Plaza, the Phippen Museum plans a number of other events to round out the holiday weekend both on and off the Courthouse Plaza. Two popular events are the Saturday and Sunday “Artists Quick Draw” art demonstrations where professional artists create a work of art in only 45 minutes and then auction them to the crowd. Also on Saturday and Sunday, Docents from the Phippen Museum will have drop-in art projects for kids and young adults at the Courthouse Gazebo. For a nominal five dollar fee young people can participate in one of the projects and take home their very own work of art. Space is limited but you can register in advance by calling the Phippen Museum.

An evening full of events takes place at the Denim to Diamonds Gala Dinner, Live Art Auction Fundraiser and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 23 at the Prescott Resort. After live music and cocktails Phippen guests will enjoy a gourmet dinner prepared by the staff at the Prescott Resort and a live art auction of 15 to 20 amazing works of art. The evening will conclude with an awards ceremony for this year’s award winning artists and the presentation of the Louise Phippen Memorial Award. Tickets for the Gala are $75 each and can be purchased by calling the Museum.

The Phippen Museum is pleased to celebrate the 6th anniversary for the very successful Miniature Masterpieces Show & Sale. This very successful fundraiser for the Phippen Museum features spectacular drawings, paintings and sculptures by some of the biggest names in Western Art in smaller, more affordable sizes. The Miniature Masterpieces Show actually begins on Friday, May 1 at the Phippen Museum and will run throughout the month of May. During the Phippen Memorial Show and Sale weekend (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday) admission to the Museum is free. We are working on arranging free transportation again this year from the Courthouse Plaza to the Phippen Museum during the Memorial Day Show for all the many art patrons who come to Prescott. The Museum is also working hard on expanding the online portion of the sale in order to attract the many buyers who are unable to come to Prescott for that weekend. The actual Sale-By-Draw will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Memorial Day, Monday May 25 at the Phippen Museum.