Longtime Sedona artist Curt Walters, renowned for his iconic depictions of the Grand Canyon, has been honored with the prestigious Jackie L. Coles Buyers’ Choice Award for his captivating oil painting, “Thunderous Resound: Plateau Point,” at the 2025 Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale.
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City announced the award for Walters’ piece, which, measuring 50 inches by 60 inches, was the largest painting featured in this year’s show.
Walters’ home and studio have been in Sedona since 1979, and his deep connection to Arizona’s landscapes is a hallmark of his celebrated career. Stories about Walters and his paintings and awards have been published numerous times in the News over the last 46 years.
Receiving the Buyers’ Choice Award is a testament to the profound connection Walters’ work forged with the collectors and art enthusiasts who appreciate and invest in Western art. This honor signifies the painting’s exceptional appeal and quality, as determined by votes from attendees of the highly anticipated exhibit.
The museum welcomed 1,200 attendees for the Saturday, June 21 sale, which was followed by an awards banquet where Susan Roeder, the Prix de West Committee chairwoman, presented Curt with his award.
This year marks Walters’ 28th year participating in the Prix de West, and this is his ninth time winning the Buyers’ Choice Award. He has also been honored with the Fredrick Remington Award three times for Best Painting and the coveted Prix de West Purchase Award in 2007 for his oil painting “Spring’s Caprice,” which is now part of the museum’s permanent collection.
Walters’ ability to capture the raw power and majestic beauty of the Western landscape is widely recognized.
“This award is a well-deserved acknowledgment of his immense talent and dedication to his craft,” a press release stated. “Throughout his distinguished career, he has received critical acclaim, and his work is held in numerous international private and public collections. Walters is celebrated for his masterful landscapes, particularly his epic and iconic depictions of the Grand Canyon.”
“His passions and perseverance leave an imprint of a genuine master artist,” Maggie DeDecker Rey of Claggett Rey Galleries said.
Walters’ deep understanding of light, atmosphere, and geology has come from working on location, outdoors, since he started painting. This allows him to create paintings that transport viewers directly into the heart of the American West.
“You can’t think of Grand Canyon without thinking of Curt Walters,” said art dealer Nedra Matteucci, of Matteucci Galleries in Santa Fe, N.M.
“Thunderous Resound: Plateau Point” exemplifies Walters’ signature style, showcasing a dramatic and evocative scene that resonated deeply with attendees at the Prix de West exhibition, the press release stated.
The Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale runs from June 6 to Aug. 3, at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The exhibit features over 270 original paintings and sculptures by more than 90 of the nation’s leading Western artists.
This annual exhibition is a premier event for Western art, offering collectors the opportunity to acquire exceptional works and engage with artists.
The many award-winning Grand Canyon paintings from past Prix de West shows will be included in the new biography about Walters’ life and career. Written by his grandson Damian Foreman and edited by Susan Hallsten McGarry, “Resilience: The Life and Grand Canyon Art of Curt Walters” will be printed in Italy by Fresco Fine Art Publications in September and distributed in January by the University of New Mexico.
First published at age 12, Foreman won two scholarships for acting and studied theater at Northern Arizona University. His short fiction was collected in “Portraits in Bloodlines” in 2018 and his novel, “The Circus: An American Fantasy,” was published in 2023.
More information on Walters and his work can be found on his website curtwalters.com or by calling (928) 277-3509.
