Market watchers have taken notice in recent years of an exciting new trend at auctions big and small from coast to coast: prices for works by cutting-edge Native American painters are rising, and rising, and rising. First, it was Fritz Scholder, but in recent years it has expanded to Earl Biss, Oscar Howe, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Allan Houser, William Standing and others.
Oscar Howe (Yanktonai Dakota, 1915-1983), Horse Dancer, casein on paper, 17 x 18¼ in. Estimate: $100/150,000
Works by many of these artists will be part of this year’s Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, held on July 25 in Reno, Nevada. The sale, which will feature around 340 lots, has long been a destination for Western art, sporting art and works by historic American masters for many years. But recent expansions into paintings by Native American artists has proven to be a hit with the auction house’s bidders.
“It’s long overdue that these fabulous painters see their prices go up at auction. They didn’t always get their due in their lifetime, but collectors are responding now as new generations of collectors find their works. The market is catching up,” says auction partner Mike Overby. “A lot of these artists, like Scholder or Biss, have a lot of crossover appeal. You can hang a big Scholder in a log-cabin lodge, or even a home in a major city on the East Coast, and it’s going to look great no matter what. Bidders are responding to these artists.”
Earl Biss (Apsáalooke, 1947-1998), A Cold Wind on the Rainbow People, 1988, oil on canvas, 60 x 84 in. Estimate: $40/60,000
Fritz Scholder (Luiseño, 1937-2005), Shaman with Shadow, 1984, oil on canvas, 80 x 68 in. Estimate: $30/50,000
Overby points to a Biss that was sold by the auction house recently. Instead of staying in the West, where Biss lived and worked, it went to the East Coast. Other lots by Howe have performed exceptionally well. “Howe was a painter who poured his heart into his work. And he painted for himself,” Overby says. “He was very meticulous and he only put out quality work.”
Works in the sale include two major Howe paintings: Sioux War Dancer (est. $100/150,000) and Horse Dancer (est. $100/150,000). Both pieces show Howe’s fragmented, almost shattered sense for design and composition. Scholder will be represented in the sale by Shaman with Shadow, a 1984 work that measures 80 by 68 inches. It is estimated at $30,000 to $50,000.
Earl Biss (Apsáalooke, 1947-1998), The Shield of Bright Wings in the Morning, 1991, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in. Estimate: $20/30,000
Biss will have at least three works available to bidders: The Shield of Bright Wings in the Morning (est. $20/30,000), Wandering Through Black Lodge (est. $20/30,000) and A Cold Wind on the Rainbow People (est. $40/60,000). Many recent Biss lots have sold over their estimates. Additionally, every single one of the artist’s top 15 auction records have occurred within the last six years.
Other works include paintings by John Nieto—Running Coyote (est. $35/35,000) and Two Moon (est. $40/60,000)—and also an Allan Houser Smoke Signal bronze.
The auction will take place in Reno at the Grand Sierra Resort on July 25. —
July 25, 2026
Coeur d’Alene Art Auction
Grand Sierra Resort & Casino 2500 E. Second Street, Reno, NV 89595
(208) 772-9009, www.cdaartauction.com
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