March In Montana kicks auction into high gear

Auctioneer Pete Stremmel takes bids on "Attack on the Stage" by Nick Eggenhofer during the March In Montana auction on Friday afternoon at the Town House Inns. / TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

March In Montana’s Friday auction featured more than 370 pieces of art, with more than $700,000 in estimated sales.

With so many items for sale, the Friday auction moved at a fast clip. Auctioneer Pete Stremmel warned the crowd before he kicked off bidding on the first piece that he planned to auction 75 items per hour.

“Which is moving fairly quickly,” he said. “If you’re interested, get your hand up quickly.”

March In Montana, held at the Town House Inns, is put on by the Manitou Galleries of Cheyenne, Wyo., and Santa Fe, N.M., and The Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, which puts on a large auction every year in Reno, Nev.

The Manitou Galleries also holds an auction in Santa Fe, but the Great Falls auction always outperforms the New Mexico event, gallery owner Bob Nelson said.

“We only do two auctions a year, and this is the biggest one,” he said.

This year’s March In Montana included a wide variety of paintings, as well as some pottery, bronze sculptures, Navajo blankets and furniture. Friday’s auction also featured four pieces of art by Charlie Russell, including two bronzes, a pen-and-ink drawing, and a postcard with a hand-written note and sketch. To read more.