September 11, 2005
By RICHARD ECKE Tribune Staff Writer
Good news for fans of the painted buffaloes scattered around Great Falls this summer. Many of the gorgeous creatures are staying in northcentral Montana.
Good news for the C.M. Russell Museum. Its live auction Saturday night of 26 big buffaloes and four calves drew bids totaling $214,000. "It was higher than our conservative estimate," said Carol Mungas, co-chairwoman of the Buffalo Hunt project. Complete figures, including total silent bids for 20 small buffalo, were not available at press time. The original estimate was $150,000. "I'm so pleased," said co-chairwoman Kitty Wright. "The whole energy in the room was phenomenal."
Artist Thomas English, who painted a blue buffalo with the moon shining down, drew one of the highest bids, $11,500, for his "Buffalo Nights" piece. He called the auction results "fantastic." "
We didn't have any idea what to expect," English said. Carla Lott, the only female Blackfeet Indian to be a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, did not expect to receive a standing ovation from the crowd. Her face was one of many notable Blackfeet Indians depicted on a buffalo painted by Larry Zabel of McAllister, Mont.
"I almost cried," she said, adding that she considers the ovation was for all members of the U.S. military, especially those serving their country in harm's way. "They deserve the standing ovation," she said. A number of purchasers were Great Falls business people. Others simply seized the moment.
Ken Hatzenbeller of Great Falls, for instance, bought artist Vickie Meguire's "Prickly Pear and Buffalo Hair."
"I don't know where the buffalo's going to go," he said with a grin. "I think we'll turn it loose on the range."
Patti Cooprider of San Diego knows where her buffalo is heading. Cooprider was in town for the 87th birthday of her mother, Molly Keister, Thursday. A fan of the Russell Auction, she decided to take in this event, too. Cooprider, a member of the Great Falls High class of 1958, said she will donate her buffalo to the high school. The buffalo with a modern flair, by Bremerton, Wash., artist Amy Burnett, carried a price tag of $4,500.
Drawing the top price in the auction was artist Tim Joyner of Hamilton, whose dramatic three-dimensional work, "Pishkun," fetched a bid of $16,500. The highest price calf went for $5,000, "Open Range" by Jolene Yellow Robe of Billings.
Auction observers appeared to enjoy the show, especially antics of the auction spotters, including the loudest of the bunch, Tom Mathews. "The whole effort all these people put into it was just awesome," said Marv Hessler of Great Falls.
Auction results
(The buffalo, the artist and hometown, the purchase price, the purchaser)
Faces of the West, Susan Blackwood
of Bozeman, $5,000, purchased by Jane Moore
The Seven Brothers, Karen Bonnie
of Del Norte, Colo., $8,500, Rick Evans
Sacajawea-Montana to the Pacific,
Amy Burnett of Bremerton, Wash., $4,500, Patti Cooprider
Buffalo Nights, Thomas English
of Great Falls, $11,500, Dr. Steve Akre, Great Falls Clinic
Shape of Things to Come II,
Graham Flatt, Miller, Alta., Canada, $7,000, Roy and Diane Volk, Heritage
Inn
Saving the Buffalo, Howard Friedland
of Bozeman, $8,000, Kevin Clark, Heritage Bank
Buffalo Chips (calf),Charles
Fulcher of Great Falls, $2,250, Owen Robinson, Lumber Yard
Supply
Buffalo Spring Tales, Mimi and
Don Grant of Great Falls, $6,500, Laura Vukasin, Prairie Mountain Bank
Thunder on the Roof, Joe Halko
of Choteau, $7,500, Stewart Rose
Dance by the Light of the Moon,
Diana Hausmann of Fairfield, $5,000, Vernon Peterson
Morning Star Buffalo, Pam Houston
of Ulm, $10,500, Owen Robinson, Lumber Yard Supply
America's Great Plains, Barbara
Ivey of Dallas, $6,000, Ian Davidson
Trails Plowed Under, Jan Johansen
of Anoka, Minn., $8,500, anonymous
Pishkun, Tim Joyner of Hamilton, $16,500,
Oswood Construction Co.
Tatanka, Robert Kercher of Great Falls,
$6,000, Stuart Nicholson
Bountiful Visions, Dave Maloney
of Great Falls, $12,500, John Goodnow, Benefis Healthcare
The Four Seasons, Janet McGahan
of Arlee, $6,500, Cynthia Schultz, Great Falls Airport director
Prickly Pear and Buffalohair,
Vickie Mequire of Great Falls, $5,500, Ken Hatzenbeller
Rainboffolo, Chris Miller of
Great Falls, $4,000, Peter Horst
Buffalo Ponies, H. Steven Oiestad,
$5,000, Linda Olson
Buffalo Birches, Michael Patterson
of Great Falls, $12,500, Brent Haverlandt
Mighty Mo, Julie Pederson-Atkins
of Billings, $8,000, Pat Sletten
Montana Ski Buff, Sue Toppen
of Monarch, George Willett
Open Range, Jolene Yellow Robe
of Billings, $5,000, Cathy Darber
Pictocalf, Jenny Yoneji of Great
Falls, $2,000, Stockman Bank
Keepers of an Ancient Covenant,
Larry Zabel of McAllister, Mont., $7,000, Jim Strauss, Great Falls Tribune
Herdin' and Birdin' (calf),
Jane Shull Beasley of Helena, $1,750*
Animal Magnetism, Linda St.
Clair of Colorado, $9,500*
Iini Pukini, Blackfoot Buffalo,
Valentina La Pier of East Glacier, $7,000*
Bison Branch, Ron Ukrainetz
of Great Falls, $9,500*
*Name of purchaser not immediately available.