Can’t help it……must report Auction results…….must report……..(isn’t that how television’s “Lost in Space” robot talked?) I’m away, back East, land o’ lakes, rock walls, farms and the Atlantic coast. Wasn’t going to write a THING.

The sixth annual Jackson Hole Art Auction realized a cool $7,700,000 in sales. Held on Saturday, September 15th, 2012 at the Center for the Arts in Jackson, Wyoming, the auction is produced and hosted by Trailside Galleries and the Gerald Peters Gallery. More than 80% of the featured 300 lots sold—there were approximately 30 passes—and speaking from my own experience, working the auction from literally “behind the scenes,” off-stage, organizing the progression of works to be brought on stage for sale, “auction day” was extremely exciting!

Laurence, Sydney, (1865-1940), Mt. McKinley, oil on canvas laid on board

300 lots! It seemed a done deal we’d be running for six hours, but the auction concluded in a remarkable five. I and five able-bodied (young and cute!) handlers prepared paintings, bronzes and Indian artifacts (a great picture of us, page 20, in September 19th’s “Stepping Out” Section, J.H. News & Guide–article by Johanna Love, photo by Price Chambers). It’s hard, fast-paced work. After the auction, I bought a bottle of cabernet, drove home, poured a glass and unfurled my bod onto the grass, sunny side up. Submitted auction press materials state: an exquisite selection of paintings by wildlife artist Carl Rungius brought over…

Harvey, G. (1933-) Chancellorsville, oil on canvas

…$1,000,000 with the highlight “Grizzly Bear and Cubs”, (top of page) a 24 x 32 oil on canvas, estimated $250,000 to $350,000, bringing $373,750. Two other Rungius paintings featuring bighorn sheep brought $345,000 and $184,000.

Frederic Remington’s “John Ermine”, a 22 ½ x 15 pastel over halftone, which sold for $690,000; the cover lot, Charles Russell’s 13 x 20 inch oil on canvas “Unbranded” sold for $575,000; W. R. Leigh’s “Bucking Bronco with Cowboy”, a 30 x 22 oil on canvas, brought $345,000; W. Herbert Dunton’s “The Trail Boss”, a 36 x 24 oil on canvas, brought $276,000; and Frank Tenney Johnson’s “North Fork, Shoshone River, Wyoming”, a 20 x 16 oil on board, brought $218,500.

A  G. Harvey in the sale from a private collection in Colorado titled “Chancellorsville”, a 30 x 40 oil on canvas, estimated $150,000 – $250,000 brought $218,500. To view all Jackson Hole Art Auction results, lot by lot, click here.