Friendship, Inspiration + Craft: Oberg, Smith, Whitcomb and Young at Steamboat Art Museum

Steamboat Art Museum

December 4, 2020 – April 10, 2021   

Young, Just Up the Road, 10x12

Oberg, Elk River Falls, 14x11

Whitcomb, Emerald Pool, 8x10

Smith, Monsoon Season, 22x28

The Steamboat Art Museum (SAM) is hosting a group show representing four of the West’s most noted contemporary plein air painters — Ralph Oberg, Skip Whitcomb, Matt Smith and Dan Young. This exhibition will bring together old and new work, including studies and studio paintings, along with photographs of their adventures. 

Betse Grassby, executive director of the Steamboat Art Museum, says this exhibition demonstrates the wonderful synergistic impact of the painters’ 30-year relationships — a story of kinship, adventure and cross-pollination to become their best.

“Friends for 30 years, these four amigos treasure their time together, whether it is in the field sharing a ridgeline, critiquing each other’s handiwork at the end of an outing or catching up at a major art show somewhere around the country. All believe their friendship and light sibling-like rivalry has made their work better and spurred them to continue to grow over that 30-plus year period. And, these four gentlemen proved nice guys can finish first — in art, friendship and life,” shares Seth Hopkins, executive director of Booth Western Art Museum in Georgia. 

The Steamboat Art Museum, established in 2006, is located in the heart of downtown Steamboat Springs. Admission is free. steamboatartmuseum.org 

Originally published in the Winter 2020-21 issue of SPOKE+BLOSSOM