WA&A Collector’s Eye-Ginger Renner

Just over a week ago, the C.M. Russell Museum had one of its most successful auctions ever, and it was in large part due to works that came from the Ginger Renner estate.  Ginger Renner was the country's leading authority on Charles M. Russell.  If you wanted to know whether you had an authentic Russell original, you would send it to Ginger.  She will be sorely missed.  Her estate was divided up between the C.M. Russell Museum, Scottsdale Art Auction and Coeur d'Alene Art Auction.  Her pieces in The Russell Sale did extremely well, and the Scottsdale Art Auction is this weekend, and I'm sure they won't slip through the cracks.  The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction is in July as usual and they're renowned for getting some of the best prices for Russell's works, so I can only imagine how Russell works that have come from an incredible collection will do.  She was a nationally renowned expert on Charlie Russell and an author, lecturer, collector and historian. She devoted many years to the Charles M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Mont., and the Phoenix Art Museum in Phoenix, Ariz. She was a founding member of the CMR Museum National Advisory Board formed in September 1983. In 1995, she received the 'Josephine Trigg Award', the highest award presented by the CMR Museum. In 2005, she received the "Women in Art - Protecting our Artistic Heritage Award", presented by the Phoenix Art Museum League. Ginger was also one of the major contributors to the Russell Catalogue Raisonne completed in 2007. Ginger's love for her family and strength of character were unsurpassed. She carried herself with a pure confidence and elegance that few could match. She blazed a trail in the hearts and minds of all that were fortunate enough to know her. Her fiery spirit, extraordinary storytelling, and unending passion for life will certainly be missed.  To learn a little more about Ginger, Western Art and Architecture had a wonderful little article/interview with her, so click the following link to read the article: Collector’s Eye

Ginger Renner 1921-2011