Kim Wiggins Wins Prestigious Ann Noble Brown Prix de West Purchase Award for “How the West Was Won – Chisum at Castle Gap”

 

OKLAHOMA CITY, June 22, 2026 – The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s 54th Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale generated more than $3.7 million in sales on Saturday, June 13, surpassing the 2025 sale weekend total by more than $500,000.

Presented by Eskridge Lexus, Prix de West is the Museum’s largest annual fundraiser, supporting exhibitions and educational programming. By the end of opening sale night, 67% of available artwork had sold, with remaining works on view and available for purchase through July 12.

Each year, the Prix de West committee selects one exceptional work to purchase for the Museum’s permanent collection. This year’s Ann Noble Brown Prix de West Purchase Award was presented to artist Kim Wiggins for his 60 x 48 in. oil painting How the West Was Won – Chisum at Castle Gap.

Wiggins received a $7,500 award and the Prix de West medallion, in addition to the Museum purchasing the piece for its permanent collection.

The painting draws on the 1866 drive in which John Chisum, Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving moved 3,000 longhorns west, helping establish one of the most famous cattle trails in American history. In Wiggins’ scene, John Chisum and Wild West figure Frank Chisum fight to control a massive stampede at Castle Gap near the Pecos River after the herd has crossed 80 miles of harsh desert — an epic episode in the cattle-drive era that helped shape the legend of the American cowboy and later inspired Western classics such as Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove.

An artist based in southern New Mexico, Wiggins is known for his bold, modernist vision of the West. He has built a career around paintings that blend history, symbolism, movement and color into a style all his own. His work has been exhibited at major Western art institutions across the country.

For Wiggins, whose work has helped expand the visual language of Western art, the honor was deeply personal.

“I am so incredibly honored,” Wiggins said. “As a modernist, it has been a very long road to the awards. There are so many talented artists here, with so many different gifts and so many different styles, and not one style is better than the others. It humbles me when I walk through this show and see the art hanging next to mine.”

Wiggins recalled a turning point early in his career, when he lost a bill-paying job and chose to go home, pick up his brushes and paint. After a month of work, he drove to Lubbock, Texas, and began knocking on doors to sell his paintings.

“By 2  in the afternoon, it was so hot, and a woman opened the door and said, ‘Young man, you look like you need a glass of iced tea. Why don’t you come in and bring a couple of your paintings?’” Wiggins said. “She bought one for $500, and I drove home that day and said, ‘Lord, I hated today. But if I can have 29 days of doing what I love and one day of doing what I hate, I am all in.’ I think back on that on days like this. This is such a beautiful day.”

Wiggins said he is especially grateful to have his work enter the Museum’s permanent collection.

“I so admire this museum because I believe Western art is truly the hallmark of America,” Wiggins said. “One day, when we are no longer here, I believe it is the art of the American West that will identify us as a people. To be up here receiving this award is incredibly humbling.”

Other 2026 Prix de West award recipients include:

  • Donald Teague Memorial Award: Dean Mitchell of Tampa, Florida, was honored for his 22 x 30 in. watercolor painting Cactus Jungle, which is available for purchase. Sponsored by Scottsdale Art Auction, the $4,000 award is presented for exceptional artistic merit for a work on paper, in memory of Western illustrator and watercolorist Donald Teague.
  • Frederic Remington Painting Award: Andrew Peters of Council Bluffs, Iowa, received this award for Sandhill Cranes on the Great Migration (60 x 60 x 12 in., oil, gold, wood, metal), which is available for purchase. The $4,000 award is given for exceptional artistic merit in a painting and is sponsored by Lenny and Linda Sadler in loving memory of J.D. and Betty Sadler and Russ and Dortha Sadler.
  • Great American Cowboy Award: Grant Redden of Evanston, Wyoming, earned this award for Anxiously Engaged (24 x 30 in., oil), which sold at the event. The $4,000 award celebrates the finest portrayal of cowboy subject matter and is sponsored by Jim and Cathy Blevins and American Abstract Company of McClain County, Inc.
  • Jackie L. Coles Buyers’ Choice Award: The winner of this year’s Buyers’ Choice Award is John Coleman of Prescott, Arizona, for his sculpture Wedding at Crow Fair (87 x 42 x 35 in., bronze). The $4,000 award, sponsored by the estate of Jackie L. Coles, is presented to the most popular work of art as voted on by attending patrons. The sculpture is available for purchase.
  • James Earle Fraser Sculpture Award: Bruce R. Greene of Clifton, Texas, received this honor for A Trail of Vision (26 x 62 in., bronze), which sold at the event. The $4,000 award recognizes outstanding artistic merit in sculpture and is sponsored by the Charlie Russell Riders in honor of longtime member Steve Rose.
  • Major General and Mrs. Don D. Pittman Wildlife Award: Ron Kingswood of Sparta, Ontario, Canada, received this award for Descending from the Heavens, (48 x 52 in., oil on canvas), which sold at the event. The $4,000 award recognizes exceptional artistic merit for a wildlife painting or sculpture and is sponsored by the estate of the late Major General and Mrs. Don D. Pittman.
  • Robert Lougheed Memorial Award: Walter T. Matia of Dickerson, Maryland, received the Robert Lougheed Memorial Award for the best Prix de West body of work, as chosen by his fellow Prix de West artists. The $4,000 award is sponsored by Barbara and Roger Simons in memory of Faydra and George Simons, true Western enthusiasts. Matia’s recognized sculptures include:
    • Whispering Pines (32 x 50 x 6.5 in., bronze), which sold at the event.
    • Cry Havoc (76 x 24 x 18 in., bronze), which sold at the event.
    • Guardian of the Galaxy (63 x 16 x 11 in., bronze) which sold at the event.
    • Firebirds (27 x 7 x 8 in. ea. plus extensions, bronze) which sold at the event (additional castings available for purchase).
    • Two for the Road (16 x 10 x 8 in., bronze) which sold at the event.
  • Wilson Hurley Memorial Award for Outstanding Landscape: G. Russell Case of Idaho Fallas, Idaho, received this award for Into Red Canyon (48 x 36 in., oil on linen on board), which sold at the event. The $4,000 award, sponsored by Rod Moore Financial Services, honors exceptional artistic merit in a landscape painting and is named for the late Western landscape artist Wilson Hurley.

All unsold art remains on exhibit and available for purchase through July 12, 2026. See available works in the online catalog at pdw.nationalcowboymuseum.org.

  • A Note About Sponsors
    The 54th annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale was made possible by Eskridge Lexus, the Presenting Sponsor. The Major Sponsor is the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in Honor of Ann Noble Brown. The Contributing Sponsor is Lew and Jennifer McGinnis. Associate Sponsors include American Fidelity Foundation, Cathy and Mike Stieb, Cresap Family Foundation, Fowler Automotive, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Southwestern Group of Companies and Visit Oklahoma City.

    This event was also made possible through the valued support of many additional sponsors and Community Partners. We extend our sincere gratitude for their contributions.

    About the 54th Annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale
    Since 1973, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has been home to Prix de West, the nation’s premier Western art exhibition and sale. Each summer, the event transforms Oklahoma City into a gathering place for leading Western artists, collectors and art lovers from across the country. Now in its 54th year, Prix de West continues to showcase the extraordinary range of contemporary Western art, from sweeping landscapes and wildlife sculpture to Native portraiture, cowboy life, historical scenes and bold, impressionistic interpretations of the American West.  

    The 2026 exhibition features 276 original paintings and sculpture by 90 invited artists from across the country. The works reflect both the enduring traditions and the evolving story of the West, capturing its people, places, wildlife, history and imagination.

    About the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
    The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City is the nation’s premier institution dedicated to the history, art and culture of the American West. Founded in 1955, the Museum houses an internationally renowned collection of more than 28,000 Western and Native American art works and artifacts, including the world’s most extensive collections of American rodeo photography, barbed wire, saddlery and early rodeo trophies.

    Through its exhibitions, programs and scholarship, the Museum preserves and interprets the evolving story of the West, illuminating the people, traditions and ideas that continue to shape American culture. With more than 10 million visitors from around the world, it stands as a leading authority on the enduring legacy of the American West.

    A recent RegionTrack study found the museum will generate $313 million in economic impact for Oklahoma this decade, including $170 million in direct benefits through 2028 and $143 million in spillover effects, underscoring its role as both a cultural landmark and an economic driver.

    For more information, visit thecowboy.org.