2nd Annual Masters of Equine Art (2026), International Juried Art Exhibition
- wildheartgallery
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 24 minutes ago
Congratulations to all the artists of Masters of Equine Art 2026!
For the second year in a row, the gallery is happily stunned by the overall quality of the work submitted by equine artists. We are also thrilled that the range of equine species includes domestic horses, wild horses, mules, and zebras! Wild Heart Gallery enjoys showing a range of artwork in terms of styles, expression, composition, and medium. This exhibition exceeds expectations.
Thank you for everyone who entered! It is a dream come true to see all of your art.
It is the goal of Wild Heart Gallery to support and promote animal and wildlife artwork in a wide range of genres and styles. Artwork for this exhibition was selected by jury based on theme, originality, skill, and quality of work. Jurors were Christina Bötzel, Alasdair Banks, Sarah Soward, and Sharon Eisley.
Awards:Â Best of Show, Overall Runner Up, Blick Art Materials Award, Artivism Award, Overall Honorable Mentions, and Finalists. There is also an art section of Selected Works.
Click on an image below to enlarge it.
BEST OF SHOW
Stallion Standoff, by Kevin Lee 16 x 20 inches, Photography
From the artist, "On Steens Mountain, wild stallions often graze in peace—until a fierce contest for leadership erupts. This image captures such moments: two stallions, muscles taut and manes flying, locked in battle. Scars from past fights mar their coats, proof of the ongoing struggle for dominance and survival."
This is where equine portraiture meets sports photography. The strength and athleticism of these wild horses is captured in a way that shows who they are in this moment of conflict. An entire story is told in this one moment. The handling of color tonality and saturation combined with the composition helps the imagination run wild. The detail of scarring, facial expression, and activated muscles help feed the viewer's ideas and understanding.
OVERALL RUNNER UP
Western Classic Six, by Larissa Fraser 56 x 38 inches, Watercolour
From the artist, "Watercolour painting inspired by the Western Classic competition."
This painting feels like seeing horses in a dream. The lead horse fades out into whiteness that could be snow or fog or the edge of thought. The staccato of empty dots and sweeping lines give a rhythm and rocking to the piece. The subtle and purposeful addition of color moves the viewer through the artwork from horse to horse in a way that helps to recognize each horse as a separate part of the whole. This is a team of individuals, pulling together.
ARTIVISM AWARD
Choctaw Turquoise Warrior, by Amber Sampson 20 x 30 inches, Oil on canvas
From the artist, "Choctaw Turquoise Warrior is a Native American tribal horse painting that honors strength, resilience, and ancestral spirit. The horse stands as a warrior figure—symbolizing protection, endurance, and the sacred bond between land, animal, and people. The tribal patterns reference Native American battle language: the hand print represents a vow of vengeance against an enemy, the circle around the eye aids in making the horse's senses stronger, and the arrow on the face is a symbol of victory. Turquoise, long associated with healing and spiritual power, reinforces the horse’s role as a guardian and guide. This piece celebrates the horse not only as a physical force, but as a spiritual presence rooted in identity, survival, and pride."
The painterly treatment of the horse, gently windswept mane, and directed splatters work together to reinforce the artist's words above. This is a painting of the horse as connection in a way that transcends the merely physical. This conceptually-elevated painting speaks of history and the power of indigenous tradition.
OVERALL HONORABLE MENTIONS
Congratulations to our Overall Honorable Mention winners, Christine Khalil, Karen Osborn, Martli Heyns, Susan Eyer-Anderson, J.M. Brodrick, Leah Earle, Kelly Cosby, Jennifer Matthews, Rhia Humphries, Catherine Sonnemann, and Ani Mollereau.
FINALISTS
Congratulations to our award Finalists, Susan James, Meg Merry, Wendi Gunter, Katrina Kuivinen, Ksystof Cetyrkovski, Ashley Tolton, David Dorsey, Ronnie Rector, Karen Sullivan, Helen Coulter, Jennifer Pratt, Christine Seo, Katrina Kuivinen, Sophie Brouillet, Linda Hoyle.
SELECTED WORKS
This section is for works that are selected for the virtual exhibition here on wildheartgallery.com but are not awarded.
Congratulations to our Selected Works artists, Janet Rawlings, Susan Humphrey, Thomas Fuller, Melody DeBenedictis, Suzanne Nielsen, Diana Vincent, Susan Eyer-Anderson, Andy Mast, Julie Anna Freund, Scott Santee, J.M. Brodrick, Thyra Moore, and Manon Bentley.
SEE MORE ENTRIES
The entries that made it to the final round of judging are also available to view on our art submission partner site: ArtCall.org
These additional images will be available to view through approximately January 2026. After that date, ArtCall automatically archives the pages.
Award Distribution for 4th Annual Animal Portraiture Open
Best of Show ($350 cash award)
Overall Runner Up ($150 cash award)
Artivism Award ($50)
Overall Honorable Mentions
Finalists
Best in Show receives $350 cash award and promotion on the following: Art Week, Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media and other online media channels, WHG's eNewsletter, and WHG's home page (for duration of the exhibition).
Overall Runner Up receives $150 cash award and promotion on Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media/other online media channels and WHG's eNewsletter and inclusion in a virtual group exhibition that lasts at least one month.
Artivism Award receives $50 cash award and promotion on Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media/other online media channels and WHG's eNewsletter and inclusion in a virtual group exhibition that lasts at least one month.
Finalists receive promotion on Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media/other online media channels and WHG's eNewsletter and inclusion in a virtual group exhibition that lasts at least one month. All award recipients also receive an award certificate, emailed as a PDF to the email address used for the submission process.
Selected Works are not awarded entries, but they are included in virtual group exhibition that lasts at least one month. There is no set number of Selected Works.
This art exhibition was juried by Christina Bötzel, Alasdair Banks, Sarah Soward, and Sharon Eisley