The Blue Buffalo Artists are Back in Town

The Blue Buffalo Artists are back in town, at the MonDak Heritage Center, Nov. 6 – Feb.13, sharing their special brand of western-themed art. An opening reception will be held Sat., Nov. 21 from 6 – 8 p.m. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served.

The Blue Buffalo Artists are a diverse community of painters and sculptors who banded together to share their artistic visions through exhibits across the country. The core group originated in the historic town of Cody, Wyoming and has now grown to include artists from many western states. Several of the artists either live in or have ties to the MonDak region.

The Blue Buffalos' signature art show is held annually at the Irma Hotel, built by Buffalo Bill in Cody. The group displays a wide range of styles with varied subjects including historic western scenes, ranching, wildlife, rodeo and beautifully impressionistic landscapes. The variety of media in this exhibit includes wood carving, watercolor, pencils, oil paintings, pastels, and colored pencil pointillism. Artists are; Kaye Burian, Bonnie Zahn-Griffith, Joan Kosel, Karen Petrovich, Diane Greenwood, Pat Schermerhorn, Trish Stevenson, Phyllis Waltman and Elene Weege. Guest Artists are Rhonda Whited, Afton Ray- Rossol and Mia Delode.

Our featured Blue Buffalo artist this week is a name that is familiar to art lovers in this area, Kaye Burian. Kaye finds her western way of life easy to portray as she draws from her rodeo, showing and ranching background to give her paintings an authentic and realistic look. She and her husband own and operate the Lazy 77 Ranch in western North Dakota, where they raise red and black Angus cattle and use Quarter Horses.

Kaye's knowledge of and experience with American Quarter Horses is reflected in her paintings and has garnered her recognition with the American Quarter Horse Association's art exhibit, "America's Horse in Art" held each year in Amarillo, Texas. Kaye won the "Steel Dust Award - Best of Show" at this national exhibition.

Kaye has completed many impressive commissions including a painting of the Budweiser Clydesdales and a painting and poster of the three-time PBR World Champion Bucking Bull, Little Yellow Jacket.

Kaye has also exhibited at Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show, Windows to the West in Estes Park, Colorado, the Scottsdale Salon of Fine Art National Exhibit and the Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Her art is represented by the Plainsmen Gallery, Dunedin, Florida and Montana Furniture and Mercantile, Bismarck, North Dakota. You can see more of Kaye's art on her website, http://www.kayeburian.com.