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Wild West Wonders: May Collector's Auction Event

Sat, May 18, 2024 11:00AM EDT
  2024-05-18 11:00:00 2024-05-18 11:00:00 America/New_York North American Auction Company North American Auction Company : Wild West Wonders: May Collector's Auction Event https://live.naabid.com/auctions/north-american-auction/wild-west-wonders-may-collectors-auction-event-15617
Join us for our next premier auction event, the Wild West Wonders May Auction. The sale includes 100's of rarities from the West, Native Americans, American history, and more. Join us on May 18th at 9am Mountain Time.
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Lot 48

Darren Vigil Gray (American, b 1959) Jill Portrait

Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Starting Bid
$1,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
This is an original, rare work of art by Darren Vigil Gray (American b. 1959) "Portrait of Jill" circa 1980's of Jill Momaday Gray. The original work of art painting is signed and in a customer birdseye maple frame. Jill Momaday Gray is the daughter of Nobel Prize winner Scott Momaday and she is seen posing with her favorite sun hat. Darren Vigil Gray was born in Dulce, New Mexico to a rodeo cowboy, rancher, and guitarist in a band called the Apache Red Vests. He is considered to be a Native Tribal Leader. Darren Vigil Gray was an accomplished Native American artist who amongst many accolades had a one man show at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico called Counterclockwise, his works are collected by many famous people including Paul McCartney. He was also considered to be the tribal leader. His mother studied operatic voice in college and encouraged Gray to learn the piano and drums as a child. These experiences with his parents, along with his encounters with bands later during his career, has prompted Gray to note that "music and art are inextricably linked." During his teenage years, his parents were facing issues such as a divorce, which prompted him to desire leaving them. Gray has stated that he saw a UFO during the fourth grade, while he was riding the bus, which he cites as showing him that "anything is possible" and incentivizing him to become an artist. Gray is married to Jill Momaday, the daughter of Kiowa novelist N. Scott Momaday, in which they both raise two daughters together. He became a husband at a young age which shortly led him to being a father in which Gray states created responsibilities for him at a "very young age." The condition of this original painting is good with no obvious signs of damage and shows good overall condition. The measurements of this original portrait is 38 7/8" x 34 1/4" and the visible artwork measures 28 1/4" x 24 1/2".