Cowgirls and the Western Plains features the feminine side of the West as portrayed by the vibrant cowgirls of Donna Howell-Sickles and the softer, more subtle aspects of the West in the luminous landscapes by Linda Lillegraven. Join these women for an Artists’ Reception on Wednesday, September 25th from 5 to 7PM at Ann Korologos Gallery in Basalt.

“Donna Howell-Sickles captures the can-do, capable ranching women who exude an internal strength, work-ethic, and vibrant spirit as many of her foremothers did, while Linda Lillegraven’s landscapes showcase the soft light and open spaces over which these women roam,” shares gallery owner, Ann Korologos. “The predecessors of the women Howell-Sickles paints are the same women that tamed the plains and open land so skillfully depicted in the landscapes of Lillegraven.”

Donna Howell-Sickles redefines the wary stereotypes that represented Western women during her childhood in Texas and New Mexico in the 50s and 60s. Using charcoal, pastel, and acrylic on paper or canvas, Donna portrays ranching women as she knew them—strong, capable, humorous and bonded as sisters. Her work is rich with symbolism and allusions to classical mythology that “fits the American West like a glove.”

Linda Lillegraven lives in Laramie, Wyoming, and earned a BA in Art and BS in Zoology from San Diego State University. The great open landscapes of the West, with their changing light and seasons, offer Lillegraven a lifetime of inspiration. Her oil and pastel works capture the transitions of color and tone of the prairie, so subtle as to be almost invisible, yet masterfully achieved. Lillegraven includes a minimal amount of detail while simultaneously giving the viewer a sense of big skies, open fields, space and scale.

Cowgirls and the Western Plains is complimented with a selection of 40 contemporary western artists, and is on view September 25th through October 24th, 2019. For more information, please visit the Ann Korologos Gallery at 211 Midland Avenue in Basalt, call 970.927.9668 or email art@korologosgallery.com.