BILLINGS — The Billings Chamber of Commerce is defending its decision to auction off a historic painting depicting a scene of a serene Crow settlement.
The painting, "The Young Chief" by artist Joseph Henry Sharp, had been at the Yellowstone Art Museum since 1967 intermittently on display but mostly kept out of sight.
“Unfortunately, for these past four or five decades, it’s been primarily in storage,” John Brewer, president of the Billings Chamber of Commerce, told MTN News Wednesday.
The chamber has tried to sell it before, canvassing the membership in 2008.
“And 73% of those businesses at the time said that we should sell it again,” Brewer said.
News of the sale has raised concerns among community members who believe it should remain in Montana. Sharp, who was from Arizona, painted the piece in 1905 and sold it to Billings businessman Charles Bair, who donated it to the chamber.
Sharp "didn’t just sort of think about this painting. He was there while he painted it,” said Billings resident Patty Reynolds on Wednesday.
Reynolds, who is among those disappointed with the chamber's decision, has a special connection to Sharp’s paintings. Her grandfather, former Forsyth attorney Fritz Haynes, passed down two of Sharp’s works to her parents. Unfortunately, they had to sell them in the 1970s for financial reasons.
“So when they left the family, all of my brothers and sisters were upset over it and we could do nothing about it,” Reynolds said.
That feeling of loss is what Reynolds is hoping to save the city from.
“To lose a painting of this significance from the state of Montana and from Billings, I just felt I had to speak up and to ask the community, is this what you want?” said Reynolds.
Brewer said the economic crisis of 2008 prevented the original sale of the painting, but the goal to sell has been in place for decades.
“It’s not our mission to preserve, and to own, and curate art such as this. The discussion of the board for several decades has been it would be much more effective and serve our mission if the painting were to be sold and some of the revenue used to hammer home some of the issues impacting our community,” said Brewer.
The painting is set to be auctioned off in Reno, Nevada on July 15 through Coeur d’Alene Art Auction. It’s estimated to be worth between $300,000 and $500,000.
But Reynolds hopes dozens of community emails and calls will inspire a chamber change of heart.
“My grandfather would be irate,” said Reynolds.
“I think that the historical value of this painting should be looked at in all respects and let the people speak about it,” Reynolds said.
Related: Billings chamber to sell 'signature' Sharp painting at auction
